It was announced yesterday that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Simon Coveney has approved site locations for over 450 new social housing units which are to be delivered through a public private partnership (PPP) programme.
The social housing with a capital value of approximately €100 million is being developed at eight sites in co-operation with the local authorities in each area. Three of the sites are located in County Cork, with one each in the cities of Galway and Waterford. There is a further one site each in counties Clare, Kildare and Roscommon.
The funding is part of a programme of investment totalling €300 million in social housing through the public private partnership model. The programme is to deliver 1,500 social housing units.
To enable delivery to commence as quickly as possible, the PPP programme is being rolled out in three bundles. The first bundle comprising six separate sites located in the greater Dublin area was announced in October 2015. The eight sites being announced today are located across the country in six different local authority areas.
Sites for the third and final bundle with a further capital value of €100 million will be announced by the Minister before the end of 2016. The location details of the eight social housing PPP sites announced today by the Minister are:
1 The Walk, Roscommon Town, Co. Roscommon 53
2 The Miles, Clonakilty, Co. Cork 50
3 Slievekeale, Waterford City 50
4 Ballyburke, Galway City 73
5 Shannon East, Co. Clare 50-60
6 Poundhill, Skibbereen, Co. Cork 50
7 Oakwood, Macroom, Co. Cork 50-60
8 Butterstream, Clane, Co. Kildare 80
Total 456-476
PPP allows central and local government to harness the private sector to deliver social housing. Approximately €300 million is being invested overall. This is money that would otherwise not be available for the development of social housing.
Minister Simon Coveney said, "Today I am announcing eight locations where over 450 social houses are being developed through public private partnership. €100 million is being invested to deliver these new homes."
He added, "We have a significant shortage of housing supply and need to use every feasible means to meet this challenge. PPP provides us with an effective mechanism to fund and deliver additional badly-needed social housing units.”
Source: www.businessworld.ie
