Troy welcomes reforms to cut delays for social housing projects

The government have announced that from this month all new proposals for new-build social housing projects up to €200 million will move to a single approval process. The new system will also introduce standardised design and specifications across all projects. The reforms will cut delays, streamline delivery and accelerate the construction of new social homes.

By replacing the current four-stage and single stage approval processes, this new single approval process will remove unnecessary delays and create a clearer, faster pathway for delivering social homes. Standardised design and specifications will drive greater efficiency, improve consistency and ensure better value for money, meaning more high-quality homes can be delivered sooner for those who need them.

Minister of State Robert Troy commented: "This government are continuing to use every opportunity available to accelerate the delivery of social homes. That means reducing bureaucracy, cutting red tape and putting in place systems that allow new social homes to be delivered faster and more efficiently. I am aware of the issues experienced by local authorities, and approved housing bodies in terms of delivery times, many of which stem from the current system and the length of times it takes to bring a project through the various stages.

"These reforms will streamline approvals, and support greater use of modern construction methods, all with the single aim of getting high-quality homes built sooner for those who need them.

"Since 2023, we have added more than 19,000 new-build social homes to the housing stock, the highest level in a generation, but more needs to be done. This is a matter of urgent importance, and we must keep driving momentum to ensure families and individuals get the homes they need."

The government’s Housing Action Plan – Delivering Homes, Building Communities – provides clear targets for local authorities to scale-up social housing delivery, increasing from an average of 8,000 over recent years to an average of 12,000 per year, delivering 72,000 new social homes during the lifetime of the plan.

This streamlined approval process will remove the requirement for additional detailed submissions for review and approval throughout the project lifecycle; and lead to quicker sign off on project proposals from the Department of Housing.