The Climate Action Roadmap produced by The Housing Agency aims to communicate how The Agency will meet the requirements of the Climate Action Mandate and reach the 2030 carbon and energy efficiency targets set out in The Climate Action Plan 2025 (CAP25). The Climate Action Plan 2025 provides a detailed plan for taking decisive action to achieve a 51% reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and setting us on a path to reach net-zero emissions by no later than 2050.

The Public Sector Climate Action Strategy was published in March 2023 and focuses on the governance required to support public sector decarbonisation. This strategy runs to the end of 2025, to align with the end of the first carbon budget period.

This Roadmap will be reviewed and updated annually within 6 months of the publication of the Climate Action Plan.

Read the full report here.
 

A report commissioned by The Housing Agency has found that while reference rent systems can help stabilise rents and improve affordability, their success depends on a number of factors including robust data infrastructure and adequate enforcement mechanisms.

Reference Rents: International Perspectives and lessons for Ireland was authored by Dr Joe Frey, Visiting Professor at Ulster University. The report looks in-depth at the operation of reference rents, primarily in Germany and Northern Ireland, to assess their relevance and applicability to the Irish context.

It finds that Germany uses a “Mietspiegel” (Rent Mirror), a detailed database of local rents based on property characteristics, which serves as a benchmark for setting legal rent limits. The Mietpreisbremse (Rent Brake) restricts new rents to no more than 10% above the local reference rent in designated areas. While the system is data-driven and transparent, it faces challenges such as enforcement difficulties, legal loopholes, and high administrative costs. Moreover, landlords often find ways to circumvent the rules, and some withdraw from the rental market.

In Northern Ireland, although there is no formal reference rent system, the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) acts as a de facto reference for tenants receiving housing benefits. However, LHA rates often fall below market rents, limiting its effectiveness. Recent legislation allows for rent freezes and reductions, but implementation has been minimal due to political and practical constraints.

The paper concludes that while reference rent systems can help stabilise rents and improve affordability, their success depends on robust data infrastructure, legal clarity, stakeholder cooperation, and adequate enforcement mechanisms. It finds that Ireland would need to invest significantly in data collection and administrative capacity to implement such a system effectively.

Read the full report here.

The Housing Agency was asked to undertake a review of the Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) system. The Agency reviewed potential options for rent regulation in Ireland and whether they should be continued, adapted removed or replaced. The Housing Agency submitted its report to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage at the end of April. It identified a preferred option of modifying the current RPZ system.

The review examined the introduction, operation, and evolution of RPZs within the wider context of rent regulation in Ireland and internationally. It involved engagement with a wide variety of stakeholders, including investors, representatives of landlord and tenant advocacy groups, academics and the Residential Tenancies Board.

The review found moderation of rents due to the existence of RPZs, however, tenants outside RPZs have faced higher rent increases. The review also noted international research on rent control which suggests that controlled rents deliver price reduction to sitting tenants but may lead to higher initial rents for new tenants. This may impact on tenant mobility and investment in maintenance and refurbishment by landlords.

Read the full report here - Review of Rent Pressure Zones Report

Final Report Appendices here - Report Appendices 1 - 6

The Summary of Social Housing Assessments 2024 brings together information provided by local authorities on households in their functional area that are qualified for social housing support but whose social housing need is not currently being met. It is a point-in-time assessment of the identified need for social housing support across the country.

Purpose of the Assessment: This is a statutory assessment to count the total number of households qualified for social housing support across the country on 4 November 2024, in order to better inform policy and plan for the delivery of the right types of housing support.

‘Net need’ or the total number of households qualified: This is the total number of households qualifying for social housing support whose social housing need is not being met. All the figures in this report are based on net need. The methodology used to produce these figures is outlined on pages 16-18.

Criteria: Households must be qualified for social housing support. Households currently living in local authority rented or Approved Housing Body (AHB) accommodation, or accommodation provided under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) or the Social Housing Capital Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) or any household on a transfer list, are not included in the total number.

From 1 January 2023, an increase of €5,000 applied to all social housing income thresholds. These thresholds are now €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for Bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively (see gov - Social Housing Support: Table of Income Limits (www.gov.ie)- Opens in new window for full list of income thresholds by band and local authority).

Read the full report here - Summary of Social Housing Assessments 2024

When complete, Cherrywood in south Dublin will be the largest Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) in the history of the State with some 10,500 new homes accommodating a population of around 26,000 people.

As the largest undeveloped landbank in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) area, and the largest of all 11 SDZ projects in Ireland, Cherrywood SDZ presents unique challenges, particularly in coordinating significant infrastructure across multiple landowners.

A new Housing Insights paper by The Housing Agency examines the progressive steps taken by DLRCC and its key stakeholders to ensure that infrastructure is plan-led, phased and strategically provided to support Cherrywood's development.

It shows how physical infrastructure is key to unlocking land for development, including water and drainage facilities, transport infrastructure, utilities and waste management. Social infrastructure - such as parks, schools and other shared amenities - can then be provided in tandem with the physical infrastructure. Both types of infrastructure are key to realising the concept of a "10-minute neighbourhood".

Read the full report here - Housing Insights Issue 5 Supporting Sustainable Communities

The Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 requires organisations to report on their hourly gender pay gap across a range of metrics. From 2022, organisations with over 250 employees began reporting on their Gender Pay Gap. Now, organisations with over 150 employees are being asked to report on their Gender Pay Gap for the first time in 2024.

2024 is the first year that The Housing Agency will report on its Gender Pay Gap.

The gender pay gap is the difference in the average hourly wage of men and women across a workforce. The gender pay gap is not the same as equal pay. Employment Equality legislation provides for equal pay for like work. All male and female employees in The Housing Agency are paid equally for work that is the same or similar or for work of equal value, therefore this report does not examine equal pay.

Read the report in full here - Gender Pay Gap Report 2024.

Meaningful engagement with households is the greatest predictor of a successful Traveller-specific accommodation scheme, according to the authors of a new report.

The report, Good practice in the development and design of Traveller-specific accommodation, was commissioned by The Housing Agency to research and prepare draft guidelines on good practice on the appropriateness of location, scale and design of Traveller-specific accommodation, for the Minister at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The research was undertaken by a consortium led by desiun Architects with the support of the Public Policy Advisors Network.

 The report’s authors make a number of recommendations, including that funding should be provided for early, meaningful and consistent engagement with Travellers in the planning and development of Traveller specific projects.

This engagement should be undertaken before design work commences and should continue during design development. A high degree of involvement from Travellers with the design development should be sought, as well as inputs for the management and maintenance of the site, and a strategy for allocations.

The report also recommends that new sites should be located where amenities are close by and, generally, not in peripheral or isolated locations.

Read the full report here - LINK

For many disabled people, independent living can be assisted with peer support.

Peer support is a supportive relationship between people who have shared experiences. It is based on the knowledge that disabled people are experts in recognising the barriers they face and the means in which such barriers can be tackled.

As part of the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People, The Housing Agency has examined national and international examples of peer support models and explored what supports are currently available in Ireland and how, if necessary, they can be adapted or expanded to assist disabled people to live independent lives in their community.

The report, Peer Support Models, Examining models both nationally and internationally,  finds that the value of lived experience has been acknowledged as an integral component in assisting marginalised groups such as disabled people to live independently.

Read the full report here