Anger at ‘shocking’ target of just 33 affordable homes for Laois until 2030
Of the hundreds of houses planned for Laois until 2030, only 33 are designated for affordable homes
There is major disappointment in Laois regarding the Government’s housing targets for the county over the next three to four years.
The Housing Delivery Action Plan for 2027 to 2030 was unveiled at the meeting of Laois County Council on Monday, July 27.
This plan was created by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and sets out targets for the delivery of homes within Laois and across the country.
Local councillors must review the plans and provide feedback on it and how it should be adapted to suit local needs and demand in Laois.
According to the guidelines set out by the Department, the target for new build social homes in Laois is 415 between 2027 and 2030, while the minimum amount of affordable homes is set at just 33.
Presenting the plan to councillors, Director of Services at Laois County Council, Donal Brennan, added that 370 starter homes are to be built during this period. He explained that this is a catch-all term for cost-rental and affordable homes and first home schemes. However, only 33 of these are designated as affordable homes in the plan.
The intended delivery of these homes would see 97 built in 2027, 97 in 2028, 108 in 2029 and 130 in 20230.
Within this mix of housing, 240 of these homes should be one-bedroom, 80 two-bedroom, 76 three-bedroom and 19 four-bedroom.
Then 18 housing units will be run by the HSE for higher needs clients.
The plan stirred a significant reaction from the Laois councillors, all of whom agreed that 33 is simply not enough affordable homes for the county.
Many councillors also pointed out the excessive number of one-bedroom homes in comparison to homes more suitable for families such as three and four-bedroom homes.
Commenting on the national guidelines for Laois, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council, Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald, said she was very disappointed with the figures.
“I am very disappointed with the targets. I think they are absolutely shocking, especially the affordable homes. I know 33 is the minimum but that’s just shocking. I have a lot of demand for four-bedroom houses and that’s just in the Portlaoise area,” Cllr Fitzgerald said.
“There’s an awful lot of one-bedroom homes and I find that developers are not willing to enter into that which could then stop the delivery of houses. We are going to hinder development. I’m not getting a huge need for one-bedroom homes. We need to be way more ambitious.”
Cllr John Joe Fennelly added that two-bedroom homes are more suitable for many people considering that many people need carers.
The Chair of the Laois Housing SPC, Cllr Paddy Bracken, agreed with the points made by his fellow councillors and said that the targets for the county were “ridiculous.” He also urged that given the high number of social homes in comparison to affordable housing, the income thresholds for social housing must be reviewed.
Mr Brennan did acknowledge that the current demand in Laois suggests that there does need to be a “marginal increase” in the supply of four-bedroom homes.
He also insisted that these numbers are minimum targets and Laois is “well positioned” to surpass these targets.
Mr Brennan pointed out the large number of housing projects already in the pipeline for Laois, with plans for 190 houses to be created in 2027, 50 in 2028 and 118 in 2029.
Chief Executive of Laois County Council, Michael Rainey, assured that Laois is well on track to exceed these numbers and reiterated that for the council to deliver on housing, they must be backed by Department funding.