The most recent assessment of need for social housing which was undertaken by local authorities in March 2005 indicated that there were 43,684 households on local authority waiting lists compared with 48,413 in March 2002 — a decrease of almost 10%.
I recently informed local authorities of their financial allocations for their local authority housing programmes and have urged them to accelerate progress on the implementation of their housing programmes in order to commence construction and secure completion on as many social housing schemes as possible in 2006. The total allocation for 2006 is €942 million. This should allow for the completion of over 5,000 housing units in 2006. In December 2005, the Government launched a new Housing Policy Framework: Building Sustainable Communities which outlines key principles underpinning housing policy and investment over the coming years. Substantial increased investment in social and affordable housing is outlined in the framework. This will allow for some 23,000 new social homes to be commenced between 2006 and 2008; and some 15,000 affordable homes to be delivered. In total, some 50,000 households will benefit over the coming three years from an Exchequer capital investment package of close to €4 billion. Allied to this, a package of reforms is proposed to improve equity, efficiency and effectiveness. The focus is on improving community participation, improving services to ensure personal choice, autonomy and responsibility. The overall impact of these measures will impact positively on waiting lists for social and affordable housing