THE NUMBER OF approved housing bodies in Ireland grew by 10% last year, as the sector provided 44% of new social housing and 69% of cost rental homes delivered in 2022. 

The statistics, published today in a report from the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH), show that last year marked the highest ever delivery of homes by approved housing bodies (AHBs). 

The ICSH is the national federation for non-profit housing associations. 

More than 270 member organisations are involved in the federation, which manage over 55,000 homes across Ireland. 

The ICSH report further reveals that new builds made up 85% of the social housing brought on stream by housing bodies. 

In total, 4,949 social and cost rental homes were delivered by AHBs over the course of last year. 

ICSH Chief Executive Donal McManus said that the sector has grown significantly despite “price inflation and capacity issues in the construction industry”. 

“Despite these obstacles, housing associations reached record delivery levels of almost 5,000 homes in 2022, significantly exceeding the sector’s pre-pandemic delivery in 2019 of 4,127.

“With almost 55,000 housing association/approved housing body (AHB) homes now in ownership and management, providing permanent homes for families, older people, disabled people and households experiencing homelessness, our sector has grown by 10% year-on-year,” he added. 

McManus said that the Government’s recent announcement of a pause on development levies, a substantial grant for private market cost rental housing, and an increase in the vacant homes refurbishment grant are recognition of “the challenges ahead” in order for the State to meet its housing targets.  

“The current review of the cost rental equity loan scheme is ongoing, and we hope it will address the key challenges that remain around the viability of cost rental housing schemes, so that AHBs can remain at the forefront of delivery of this new tenure,” he added. 

The ICSH’s report also states that AHB’s delivered 710 houses for disabled people, which represents a two fold increase on the year before, as well as 176 houses for older people – a three fold increase. 

Roughly 10% of the delivery from AHBs last year involved using vacant residential properties and commercial ones such as pubs and offices and turning them into homes. 

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