The council has selected three sites for its first affordable housing projects in more than a decade, even though it has yet to be issued with regulations from the Department of Housing to govern the scheme.
The Government in January of last year announced plans to use public land to provide homes to buy at a discount. Minister for Housinglast June signed the scheme into law, but local authorities have yet to be issued with regulations to allow them to run affordable purchase schemes in their areas. The homes will be aimed at workers who cannot secure mortgages to buy on the open market, but do not qualify for social housing. Single applicants must earn less than €50,000, while the limit for a couple will be €75,000. Once the homes are built, they will be sold to qualifying buyers at a discount of up to 40 per cent on market rates.The council announced plans last December to develop up to 2,000 affordable purchase homes on sites across the city.
While the cost of the homes will not be determined until after the regulations have been issued by the department, it is expected that most would be available for under €250,000.Infrastructure, such as roads and sewage works to service the sites is being provided through the State’s “serviced sites fund”, with the Cherry Orchard lands benefitting from €7.
Two other Ballymun sites are already being developed for affordable housing by housing co-operative Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance. However, these are independently run schemes which are not reliant on the Government regulation.