October

• The Guide to the Planning and Development Bill 2023 was published.
• The Homeless Report for August 2023 was published, and found that 12,691 people were accessing emergency accommodation during the week of 21-27 August
• The 2024 Budget Expenditure Report was published and included key housing related expenditures such as funding for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the provision of new affordable housing and cost rental homes.
• Monthly Commencement Data for September 2023 were published and shows commencement notices for 2,607 new homes were received by Building Control Authorities in September 2023.
• Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Statistics were published for Q3 and indicated there were 4,640 applications received to 30 September with 21 grants issued.

November

• The Homeless Report for September 2023 was published and found that 12,827 people were accessing emergency accommodation during the week of 18-24 September 2023.
• The Planning and Development Bill 2023 was published, after Oireachtas scrutiny and stakeholder engagement.
• The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, welcomed the launch of new housing projects under the social housing Public Private Partnership (PPP) Programme which will deliver almost 650 new social homes.

• Monthly Commencement Data for October 2023 were published and shows commencement notices for 2,624 new homes were received by Building Control Authorities in October 2023.

• The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD announced the approval of another proposal under the Croí Cónaithe Cities Scheme, for the development of 274 apartments in Blackrock Villas, Cork.

December

• The Homeless Report for October 2023 was published and found that 13,179 people were accessing emergency accommodation during the week of 23-19 October 2023.
• The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage published their report on the regulatory impact analysis of the Planning and Development Bill

Publications:

Housing Affordability for Private Household Buyers in Ireland – 6th October 2023 – Houses of the Oireachtas, Parliamentary Budget Office

AHB Unencumbered Units Working Group Report– 19th October 2023 – DHLGH

Locked Out of the Market, September 2023– 25th October 2023– Simon Communities of Ireland

Urban vacancy in Ireland: Addressing recent responses and opportunities (tcd.ie) – TCD & Dublin City Council

Irish Council for Social Housing Tenant Satisfaction Survey 2023 – 28th November 2023 – ICSH

Is Ireland Thriving? Answers from International Assessments –– October 2023 – NESC

On 1st December, The Housing Agency, working in association with the Land Development Agency (LDA) and the Geary Institute for Public Policy, UCD, will deliver a conference entitled “Land for Affordable Housing”.

The management of land to produce affordable housing options is a central issue facing the housing sector in Ireland. The Housing Agency, the LDA and the Geary Institute for Public Policy, UCD, have previously collaborated on this topic at the ISHF in Barcelona and the "Talking About Land" series. This half-day event will continue these conversations and feature experts from organisations in Ireland dealing with these issues such as the LDA, OPR, and NESC, with a format based on questions and discussion.

Expert panellists from across the sector will review the work of the previous events and discuss the solutions and a way forward that will help manage Irelands precious land resources to further support the delivery of social and affordable housing.

Registration for this event is at capacity, and a waitlist is in operation. If you wish to be notified about future events, please email training@housingagency.ie.

More details on our event at ISHF Barcelona in June 2023 are available on our website here: The Ground Beneath Our Feet - public land use and delivery of affordable housing

The “Talking About Land” series is available to access here: “Talking about Land” series.

The agenda for this in-person conference is available to download here - Conference Programme

You can view the highlights reel from the day here - YouTube

The Summary Report from the conference is available to download here - Conference Summary Report

The Housing Agency is delighted to launch its Leadership in Housing Bursary Award for 2024.

The delivery of sustainable, affordable, and high-quality homes is one of the key issues in Ireland today. Agile and impactful leaders are crucial to developing a well-resourced, motivated, and expert housing sector that can effectively adapt to change and overcome challenges to deliver new homes and thriving communities. The Housing Agency wishes to further support the development of leadership skills in the housing sector through a bursary award for further education in this field.

This bursary award will support a student to enroll on the Diploma in Leadership Development course offered by the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School:

Diploma in Leadership Development (30 credits at NFQ Level 9)

(course commencing 8th February 2024)

Further course details are available at the following link: Diploma in Leadership Development

Applicants wishing to apply for the bursary award should submit the bursary application form to The Housing Agency on or before the 15^th December 2023.

Please note, admission to the relevant course is separate from the bursary award: in order for applicants to be eligible for the bursary award they must also meet the application and eligibility requirements of the course provider.

The course provider application procedures are set out on their website and is available at How to Apply | UCD Smurfit School

Please note that admission to course is separate from the bursary award application, and applicants must also complete the course providers’ standard course application process.

Course application closing dates may differ to those of the Bursary Scheme.

Press release originally issued by Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on 17th November 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Friday November 17th 2023

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD has announced the approval of another proposal under the Croí Cónaithe Cities Scheme, for the development of 274 apartments in Blackrock Villas, Cork. This development is the third one to be approved under this scheme and it is the second one in Co. Cork.

Under the scheme to date, contracts have been signed for:

• The delivery of 53 owner occupier apartments for sale on the open market at Woodward Court, Glencairn, Murphystown Way, Dublin 18 which is being developed by Park Developments
• The delivery of 68 owner occupier apartments for sale on the open market at Castletreasure/Maryborough, Carr’s Hill/Carrigaline Road, Douglas, Cork which is being developed by Cairn Homes
• The delivery of 274 owner occupier apartments for sale on the open market at Blackrock Villas, Blackrock, Cork which is being developed by Glenveagh

The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme supports building 5,000 apartments for sale to owner-occupiers up to 2026. The Scheme aims to bridge the current “viability gap” between the cost of building apartments and the market sale price (where the cost of building is greater). The Scheme is targeted principally at activating planning permissions already in place for such homes.

The Scheme launched in May 2022 with an Expressions of Interest process, which is being managed and administered by the Housing Agency on behalf of the Department.

The development at Woodward Court, Glencairn, Murphystown Way, Dublin 18 comprises 53 apartments with a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bed apartments.

The development of 68 apartment at Carr’s Hill, Carrigaline Road, Douglas, Cork will comprise 68 apartments with a mix of 1 and 2 bed apartments.

The development at Blackrock Villas, Blackrock, Cork will comprise 274 apartments with a mix of studio, 1, 2 and 3 bed apartments.

The Housing Agency are continuing to appraise additional proposals that have been received in the first and second calls for expressions of interest under the Scheme.

Commenting Minister O’Brien said:

“This is the third proposal under the Croí Cónaithe Cities Scheme which I have approved and a clear indication of the Government’s commitment to address the current “viability gap” between the cost of building apartments and the market sale price.

“I’d like to commend those developers who have engaged with the scheme at an early stage. Their foresight and willingness to embrace this new approach is very much welcome.

“We want to increase the supply of urban, owner-occupier apartments and provide those who wish to purchase a home with a greater choice. Giving people the opportunity to buy a home in our cities will help make them more vibrant. I look forward to making further announcements in relation to other proposals in the near future.”

The Housing Agency’s Chief Executive, Bob Jordan, said:

“Under the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme, The Housing Agency is working to increase the supply of new apartments for home purchasers. In addition to increasing supply, the scheme will also help deliver more sustainable places to live in our urban centres.”

ENDS

Additional information can be found at https://www.housingagency.ie/CroiConaitheCities .

The Housing Agency presents a webinar intended to assist users of the portal "Expression of Interest - Defective Apartments and Duplexes (1991-2013)".

The one-hour webinar will take place at 7pm on Monday, 13 November 2023.

Questions may be emailed in advance to MUD@housingagency.ie. 

Registration is free of charge via this Zoom link https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rHFLeLz1TnemPUqd2zZ6LQ#/registration

The portal is accessible at Expression of Interest - Defective Apartments and Duplexes (1991-2013) (zohopublic.eu). Attention is drawn to the Conditions of Use, and Freedom of Information note, appearing on the home page of the portal.

The session will be recorded for future use. Places are limited to 1,000 attendees on a first-come first-served basis. By registering for this webinar you consent for the purposes of event management to the processing by The Housing Agency of your personal data (name and email address).

Disclaimer:

Information provided during the webinar is general in nature. It should not be considered to amount to legal advice, and no reliance should be placed on it. The Housing Agency speakers cannot be held responsible for actions or failure to act on foot of the information provided. There may be other issues or circumstances that would influence the comments provided. Professional advice might be necessary on individual circumstances.

The Housing Agency, on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has launched a new information website for affordable housing schemes called affordablehomes.ie. The website provides information on the Affordable Purchase and Cost Rental schemes as well as other supports available such as the Help to Buy scheme and the Local Authority Home Loan. The website contains step-by-step guides on the different schemes available, a set of FAQs and a section where any available properties can be advertised.

For more information visit: https://affordablehomes.ie

To register your interest in attending the next Tenant Engagement Workshop please complete your information at the following link - register your interest.

Tenant engagement is an important part of international best practice in the delivery of housing & housing services. It includes activities ranging from the effective distribution of information among tenants, through to the involvement of tenants in housing management, governance, and ownership.

International research has demonstrated the benefits that accrue from tenant engagement policies, both for tenants and housing providers. In Ireland, tenant engagement is a growing field. Some housing providers have invested in dedicated tenant engagement teams, but the principles and practices of tenant engagement are of relevance to all those working in housing delivery and management.

The Housing Agency is collaborating with Supporting Communities, Northern Ireland’s Independent Tenant Organisation, to deliver a half-day workshop for Irish housing practitioners working in roles involving tenant engagement practice. The workshop will allow participants to learn about what tenant engagement involves and how they can contribute to the practice in their own work. Topics such as organisational culture and it’s importance to tenant engagement practices, and examples of good practice examples are also included in the training.

Please note that this workshop is a repeat of the workshop delivered in July 2021 and October 2022.

This workshop is aimed at housing practitioners working in roles that involve tenant engagement practices, who are relatively new to those practices and / or have not participated in a previous Tenant Engagement workshops delivered by The Housing Agency in 2021 & 2022.

How do I sign up?

The workshop is free, but places are limited. Participants should be housing practitioners working in roles that involve tenant engagement practices who have not participated in a previous Tenant Engagement workshop delivered by The Housing Agency.

To attend a session, please reserve your place by Monday 6th November 2023 for the session on 9th November, or by Monday 13th November 2023 for the session on 16th November.

Registered participants will receive a Zoom meeting link in advance of their chosen session.

For further information please contact training@housingagency.ie.

The Housing Agency is thrilled to have been awarded a Great Place to Work® Ireland certification. The Great Place to Work Certification demonstrates The Housing Agency's commitment to providing an excellent working environment for our staff to feel proud and valued for the work they do.

Find out more about Great Place to Work® here https://www.greatplacetowork.ie/certified-great-workplaces/

 

 

The Housing Agency signed the Diversity Charter in July 2023 

 

In July 2023, The Housing Agency signed the Diversity Charter. By signing Diversity Charter Ireland, we in The Housing Agency are demonstrating our commitment to promoting diversity, equality and inclusion as living values so that we:

 

a) Attract, recruit and promote talented people who will contribute their best and play their part in promoting a culture where we can bring our diversity to work to support innovation, creativity, improved performance and decision-making.

b) Prevent discrimination and promote equality for groups covered in the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 and the Equal Status Acts 2000-2018, that is, age, civil status, disability, family status, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and membership of the Traveller Community.

c) Continually cultivate an environment that demonstrates dignity and respect for the diversity of our employees, customers, clients, suppliers, subcontractors, partners, shareholders, i.e., all internal and external stakeholders.

d) Build awareness and understanding of the benefits for people, organisations and society of promoting diversity, equality and inclusion. 

 

Diversity Charter Ireland is a network of signatory organisations seeking to build best practice in promoting diversity, equality and inclusion in their workplaces.
By signing Diversity Charter Ireland, organisations make public a statement of commitment, to address diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace in a framework that is tailored to the Irish context. You can find out more about Diversity Charter Ireland here - Diversity Charter Ireland 

 

You can view the Diversity Charter here - Diversity Charter 

 

 

Article originally printed in the Business Post, Sunday 8th October 2023

Everyone needs a roof over their heads and somewhere warm, safe and comfortable to call home – and the Housing Agency, a state-funded body, working mainly with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) works to meet the nation’s housing needs.

The agency’s work includes providing evidence-informed insights to help inform policy development and supporting policy implementation, enabling the delivery of housing for different groups and building capacity and agility across the housing sector.

As part of its remit to build capacity in the sector, the agency organised a Leadership in Housing Conference which took place on Friday, September 29 in Dublin Castle. It brought together senior housing professionals to network and engage with expert speakers.

The aim of the event was to inspire senior leaders in housing to bring about change with the key message being that leaders who are “impactful and agile” are crucial to ensuring the housing sector adapts to change and overcomes challenges to deliver new homes and vibrant communities.

Bob Jordan, chief executive of the Housing Agency, said that leaders in housing faced several challenges as they made decisions today which would impact Ireland’s long-term future. He said that it was important to incorporate social changes into housing stock for future generations. He invited delegates to “step outside their comfort zone” in order to deal with challenges.

“The purpose for the conference is to bring together leaders in the housing sector to discuss the type of leadership that will bring us through the challenges we are currently facing,” he said.

“The conference is an opportunity for attendees to stand back from their day jobs and think about how they are approaching leadership currently. The broad range of speakers from across all sectors provides an opportunity for us to move outside our own sector and start new conversations.”

Michael Carey, chairman of the Housing Agency, agreed and said that everyone in attendance could play a role in shaping the agenda for housing – and the leadership issues across both private and public sector were the same. He said that progress could only be made through “clarity of plan, allocation of resources and unambiguous monitoring of progress and consequently taking action when a plan is not making progress”.

“The Leadership in Housing conference is a real opportunity to bring together the best of our senior housing professionals working across the sector to give them an opportunity to share ideas and hear from expert speakers about the importance of effective leadership,” he said.

“As we all know, we face significant challenges in the housing sector – but effective leadership can have a profound impact on our progress in providing good quality, affordable homes in sustainable communities. We must strive to continue to implement innovative solutions, promote policy changes, and foster collaboration among various stakeholders.”

The speakers addressing the conference came from a broad range of professional backgrounds, both inside and outside the sector, and drew on their own personal experiences, while looking at the characteristics of effective and impactful leadership when facing complex issues.

These issues can cover a multitude of situations, each as relevant at the last – and Noeline Blackwell, chief executive at the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, said that being a good leader and helping to make the right decisions was vital, regardless of the problems to be solved.

She said that it was important to focus on the people who “deserve to have their rights vindicated in a country which can afford it, and the need for a framework to voice it”.

“Although my experience is mostly outside the housing sector, the characteristics of a good leader are always the same,” she said. “What I’ve learned as a leader is the importance of keeping your focus on the bigger picture even when you are constantly reacting and are in a sector that somehow always feels like it’s in crisis.

“What is particularly relevant to me is coming to terms with the end of my time as a leader in my current role and how to make the transition, paving the way for those who are coming next. A good leader will never lose sight of the person at the centre of the work, especially when they are often on the outside of the conversation.”

With a lot of conversation on the importance of strong leadership, Eileen Patterson, board member of Clanmil Housing and Circle VHA said that being a good leader involved a number of important qualities including being calm, hopeful, positive and constant.

With a wealth of experience as a housing professional, Patterson is committed to the delivery of high quality, affordable housing and support services and said it was crucial to be able to set out a vision and strategy to achieve desired goals while empowering others to also lead and grow.

“I have had a long career in the housing sector in Northern Ireland where I have seen many changes,” she said. “What stands out to me when we talk about good leadership is the ability to lead through periods of growth. Growth and change can be exciting, but also risky and as leaders we need to be able to express this to staff around us and lead them through it confidently.

“As the demand for housing continues to grow, so too will the number of those working in the sector. As leaders, when building new teams and departments, we need to be cognisant of the needs of our staff, empowering them with training and professional development to become leaders in their own right.”

Also speaking at the event was Mushtaq Khan, of the Housing Diversity Network, who relayed the importance of training when it came to becoming a diverse leader. Lucy Cronin, vice president of EU public policy at Amazon delivered an impassioned speech on the barriers women could face in leadership roles, and how organisations could strive to address these, and Dr Sam Tsemberis, founder of Housing First, discussed how social movements required leadership at every stage and the importance of representing the people you served.

John Concannon, director general at the Department of Foreign Affairs, also observed the importance of authenticity in a leader’s message, and discussed his experience of working on the Wild Atlantic Way project, which involved collaboration with many different stakeholders.

Despite the many issues facing the sector at present, Grainia Long, chief executive, of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, said she was against the idea of it being in “permanent crisis”, and discussed why a positive mental attitude was important in order for real change to take place.

Indeed, according to Bob Jordan, the future is looking bright.

“In the midst of challenges, the innovation, progress and leadership within the sector is sometimes overlooked,” he said. “The work is complex and multifaceted, and the issues we currently face won’t be resolved with quick-fix solutions, but progress is happening. There are strong leaders across the entire sector who are working diligently and consistently to address housing needs.”

You can watch highlights from the conference in the video below. 

Are you looking for a career where every day is different? Where you can make an impact on the lives of others? The Housing Agency is looking for enthusiastic, hard working people to join our team. 

What we offer: 

• Annual incremental salary progression 

• Generous annual leave allowance 

• Hybrid working options 

• Flexi Time 

• Work life balance 

• Convenient location to public transport, (Bus, Dart & Luas) 

• Continuous development and upskilling opportunities 

• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme for employees and families 

At The Housing Agency we all have a shared purpose striving towards delivering sustainable communities for people living in Ireland. Our teams work on developing innovative solutions to various issues across the housing sector. 

The Housing Agency are hiring across a number of different departments. If you’d like to join an inclusive, diverse team doing rewarding work, you can find more information about current vacancies on our careers page.