Minister O’Brien welcomes progress on affordable housing in Dun Emer

Local Minister Darragh O’Brien TD has welcomed the announcement that Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance has been appointed to oversee the construction of 39 affordable and 12 social homes in Dun Emer in Lusk.
The projected is being supported by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Serviced Sites Fund which supports local authorities in the provision of key enabling infrastructure on their land, which means they can get their sites ready for the delivery of affordable housing.
Minister O’Brien commended Fingal County Council on bringing the project, which will be the first affordable purchase housing scheme in the county in 11 years, to fruition.
Commenting he said, “These two-bedroom apartments, three-bedroom duplexes, three-bedroom terraced and three-bedroom semi-detached homes are being delivered at approximately 25% below market value in a great location in North County Dublin.
“The next step in the process will see Fingal County Council invite applications from eligible purchasers and this will be advertised on the Council website. They are also continuing in their plans to develop more affordable housing across North County Dublin.
“The Serviced Sites Fund is just one of a number of affordability measures provided by my Department to make homes more affordable. We are simultaneously working on bringing forward the Affordable Purchase Shared Equity Scheme and the Land Development Agency Bill both of which will result in more affordable homes.
“Home ownership rates have declined in Ireland to below the EU average. The average age of owning your own place has increased by a decade to 35 and it is my firm intention to put the dream of home ownership back in reach for many of our people,” he concluded.
 
ENDS
Note to Editor:
Under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), €310 million has been made available in 2021 to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of more affordable homes on local authority lands.  With maximum SSF funding amount of €50,000 available per home, at least 6,200 affordable homes, to buy or rent, can be facilitated.  To date, SSF funding of approximately €188 million has been allocated in support of 38 projects in 14 local authority areas which will assist in the delivery of almost 4,000 affordable homes