Clúid welcomes the publication of the new National Housing Plan

Clúid welcomes the publication of the new government National Housing Plan, ‘Delivering Homes, Building Communities: An Action Plan on Housing Supply and Targeting Homelessness, 2025-2030’, with a commitment to increasing the delivery of social and affordable homes. We were very pleased to also see the publication of the Approved Housing Body Strategic Forum (AHBSF) report today, following a multi-stakeholder review of the AHB sector last year, of which Clúid was a part.

Vitally, we are encouraged by the importance placed in the National Housing Plan on the key role of the AHB sector in delivering the social and affordable housing so urgently needed in Ireland.

It is noted in the report, that, over the past four years, AHBs delivered approximately 50% of social and affordable housing and that we will be supported to continue to deliver at scale. Indeed, Clúid delivered more than 1,500 homes last year, and we are on track to deliver a similar number by the end of 2025.

We are optimistic that the range of measures announced in the National Housing Plan, and the AHB Strategic Forum report will support us in continuing to increase our housing delivery.

Importantly, we welcome the commitment from government to Capital Funding Reforms to address barriers to delivery around debt levels and funding, an issue that the AHB sector has been raising at government level for some time.

In addition, we note, with interest, the proposals regarding the establishment of a National AHB Sector Sustainability Fund (NAHBSF) to pool AHB cash reserves, as a financial safeguarding measure for the sector, as well as the establishment of a Revolving Fund to encourage the continuous recycling of funding into the delivery of housing. We look forward to further engagement with Government on both proposals, to ensure that they are workable for the sector.

Given Clúid’s ambition to increase the number of homes delivered through our own construction programme, we greatly welcome the Government’s commitment to boost our capacity for direct build, via construction-specific funding.

Finally, as an organisation deeply concerned with sustainability, we are pleased to see a commitment to a ‘Green Deal’ for AHBs, including increased retrofit funding for AHBs. This will contribute to the warmth, comfort and affordability of our homes for our residents.

We stand ready and willing to work with Government and other key stakeholders in delivering on the commitments made in the National Housing Plan and the AHB Strategic Forum Report.