Housing

State raises leased housing budget by €450m due to influx of Ukrainian refugees

Government launched extra fund for 1,000 new-build social housing despite Taoiseach’s commitment to move away from leasing model

Darragh O’Brien, the Minister for Housing: the state is now in line to lease a total of 4,500 homes for social housing. Picture: Julien Behal

The government increased its social housing leasing target by nearly 1,000 units due to warnings from the Department of Housing over the pressure the state was under in accommodating Ukrainian refugees, new documents show.

In July, an extra €450 million fund was launched by the state to lease 1,000 new-build homes for social housing. The move came despite the fact that Taoiseach Micheál Martin has committed to phasing out the practice of leasing homes from ...