THE HOUSING FINANCE Agency (HFA) provided €709 million to support the delivery of social and affordable housing in the first half of the year.

The HFA is a State-owned body that provides financing to Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and Higher Education Institutions to support the delivery of social and affordable housing.

Of the €709m of new loans advanced in the first six months of the year, some €682m of this went to Approved Housing Bodies (AHB).

AHBs provide affordable rented housing for people who cannot afford to pay private sector rents or buy their own homes. 

The €682m provided to AHBs in the first half of 2025 is a 40% year-on-year increase and the HFA said this enabled the delivery of 1,901 new homes.

Meanwhile, the HFA said loan approvals in the first half of 2025 reached €767m, which is said will allow for the development of some 1,807 social homes and 962 cost rental homes.

A spokesperson said the “strong performance in the first half of 2025 reflects continued confidence in the HFA’s role as a key enabler of housing delivery”.

Elsewhere, the HFA also today published its 2024 Annual Report, which it said “showcases a year of growth and meaningful impact”.

Last year, the HFA approved €2.1 billion in new financing for AHBs and a spokesperson said this will “support a pipeline to deliver 7,936 social and affordable homes”.

The HFA said this will include the delivery of 5,679 new social homes and 2,257 cost rental homes across 22 counties.

Over the course of 2024, the HFA also advanced €1.3 billion in financing, which it said supported the delivery of 4,525 homes.

Meanwhile, the HFA also provides financing to the Higher Education sector and approved €18m for the development of 116 student bed spaces at Maynooth University.

The HFA loan book reached €8.6 billion last year, growing by a net €1.2 billion over the year. 

Housing Minister James Browne described the 2024 figures as “impressive” and added that the HFA “continues to play a crucial role in advancing the Government’s ambitious housing delivery targets”.

Browne added that there are “thousands of people who will have a safe and secure roof over their heads” because of the financing made available by the HFA.

He also said he is “extremely encouraged to see that 2025 is set to build on this progress”.

Meanwhile, HFA Chief Executive Officer, Deirdre Collier, said its record financing last year “enabled more than 12,000 people to access social and affordable housing”.

She added: “Already in 2025, we’ve seen a 40% increase in loan advances to AHBs in the first half of the year, underscoring continued demand and confidence in our role as a finance partner.”

Collier said that the focus remains on “supporting our customers in the delivery of high-quality and sustainable housing solutions”.