Over 350 homes added to the local authority stock last year
WICKLOW County Council added 351 new social homes in 2019, according to newly released data.
Figures from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government show that the local authority increased its social housing stock by 351 properties, slightly ahead of its target of 347 for 2019. The target was set under the government’s Rebuilding Ireland Programme which aims for over 138,000 new social homes to be in place by the end of 2021 through a variety of schemes. Wicklow’s target, set by the Department of Housing, is to build 1,225 new homes by 2021.
Wicklow’s total of 351 new social homes for 2019 is made up of 285 new builds, 44 houses that were acquired and a further 22 that were leased by the local authority.
Neighbouring county Wexford achieved 79 per cent of its target of 353 homes with 278 delivered in 2019 while Carlow hit 91 per cent of its goal of 233 homes, adding 212 homes. In Kildare, 748 houses were added, 200 above the county’s target of 547.
Nationally, the stock of social houses increased by 10,007 in 2019 through build, acquisition and leasing programmes. These figures released by the Department of Housing do not include Housing Assistance Payments (HAP), RAS or rent supplement programmes.
Separate data released by the Department of Housing provides a further breakdown of the delivery of social homes by Wicklow County Council in 2019. 97 of the 285 new builds were constructed by the local authority. 132 of the new builds were constructed by approved housing bodies. 46 of the new builds were the portion of any housing development set aside for social and affordable housing under developer’s Part V obligations.
The 285 new builds figure also includes ten existing social homes in County Wicklow which were derelict but have been brought back into use.
Of the 44 houses acquired by the local authority, 22 were obtained by the council and 20 by approved housing bodies. 686 families also received support under the HAP programme in 2019.
Wicklow was one of 14 local authorities which failed to meet its social housing target in 2018, hitting only 55 per cent of its target for that year.
In a statement, the Department of Housing said the delivery of homes under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) schemes had been delayed due to longer than expected pre-contract stages of work. It added a new Housing Delivery Co-ordination Office had been established to liaise with the Department, local authorities and other stakeholders to increase the speed of delivery of social homes and monitor progress.
Social housing schemes completed in Wicklow during include phase one of Delaney Park in Arklow, Druids Brook in Kilcoole and Avondale Heights in Rathdrum.
The Covid-19 crisis is expected to delay the construction of social houses in the county as works on many projects were put on hold during the initial stages of the outbreak. Construction re-started at project to build 27 homes in Whitehall, Baltinglass, 42 homes on Murphy’s Lands on Kilbride Lane in Bray and Farrenkelly in Greystones as these projects were classified as essential services with other outdoor constructions works underway as part of the first phase of the easing of restrictions.