Over 900 apply for €150million vacant buildings scheme
Housing Minister launches third round of the fund
A MULTI-million-euro fund that aims to bring vacant buildings back into use has received more than 900 applicants so far, the Housing Minister has said.
Darragh O’Brien yesterday launched the third round of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) , worth €150million, in an effort to boost housing supply amid worsening rates of homelessness.
The fund asks local authorities to propose residential or commercial sites along with the work needed to de-risk or improve the site so that it is more attractive for re-use or sale.
The fund is expected to be replenished from the proceeds received from sale or use of a site, allowing a local authority to establish a rolling programme to tackle long-term vacancy and dereliction without borrowing.
Mr O’Brien is hoping that a new fund will help ‘get to grips and tackle the scourge of vacancy’ in Ireland.
He said: ‘[The Government has put a] clear focus on vacancy; we don’t want to see vacant and derelict buildings lying idle for decades and decades.
‘We don’t want to see buildings lying idle’
We’ll allocate the money for local authority on the basis of population and on the basis of the level of dereliction or vacancy within that particular local authority.
‘The whole focus will be in relation to delivering residential units – homes – for people. Submissions will come in by April this year, and we can then get moving with what to work with.’
On the supply of housing and worsening homelessness figures, Mr O’Brien said the Government was about to bring about ‘the highest amount of social homes delivered in about 50 years’. It comes after the Government missed its target to deliver 9,000 social homes last year by a third, though it exceeded its overall target to deliver 24,600 new-builds in 2022.
‘Fundamentally to address that, we need to get housing supply up, so that people can exit from homelessness into safe and secure houses,’ the minister said. ‘And that’s why last week’s figures, in relation to housing completions – just short of 30,000 [houses] – was really important. Because within that we’re going to see the highest amount of social homes delivered in about 50 years.’
When asked about his position as Housing Minister, he said he had confidence in himself and that it wasn’t about him. He added: ‘It’s about the Government having a robust strategy that’s fully funded, which it is, and it’s actually taking hold now.’
The fund and a new Vacant Homes Action Plan was launched at the old Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire building at Parnell Square in Dublin, which has been earmarked as a city library.
Also under the plan is the Government’s Croí Cónaithe scheme, which gives homeowners access to a grant of up to €50,000 for derelict properties and €30,000 for vacant properties.
Nine-hundred applications for people in towns alone have been made, in what Mr O’Brien called ‘a strong response’.
The fund is also available for properties in cities. Mr O’Brien also launched guidance on Compulsory Purchase Orders by local authorities, with an initial focus on derelict properties, a data collection project to measure dereliction, and the ‘development’ of full-time vacant homes officers.
The Fianna Fáil TD added that there are 30 full-time vacant homes officers in 31 local authorities across the country.
A six-week advertising campaign is also planned to highlight support available to people to buy, lease or sell vacant property, or convert vacant commercial property into homes.