The new guidelines being issued in regard to local housing assessments needs in each local authority

QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the new guidelines being issued in regard to local housing assessments needs in each local authority as outlined under the national planning framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

One of the important components at local authority level in determining both supply and demand for housing will be the preparation, in the context of National Policy Objective 37 of the National Planning Framework (NPF), of a "Housing Need Demand Assessment" (HNDA) for each local authority area in order to correlate and accurately align overall future housing requirements, as an evolution of their existing Housing Strategy requirements under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000. This will assist local authorities in ensuring long-term strategic housing needs are met across all types, tenures and locations across their functional areas, both urban and rural.  
My Department intends to provide further guidance to local authorities in this regard later this year, to support their HDNA work as part of the review of their Development Plans, which will fall to be completed once Regional, Spatial and Economic Strategies have been adopted.
My Department is also considering how the aggregate view of HNDAs will feed into national reporting, including in particular in monitoring and assessing delivery and performance in line with NPF objectives.