5 million mayo housing investment

TWENTY-TWO new housing units are to be constructed in Mayo under phase one of the social housing strategy announced by Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly, and Minister for State for Housing, Planning and Construction, Paudie Coffey, today.

Nationally, over 100 projects are to commence, creating 3,000 construction jobs with the building of 1,700 housing units under the first major direct build social housing programme.

Mayo County Council will deliver 20 units at Tubberhill in Westport at a cost of €4,600,000 while two units will be constructed at Marian Crescent, Ballina, in a €370,000 project.

The move is part of the first phase of direct-build under the government’s social housing strategy. A total of €312 million has been approved by the ministers. The projects, which cut across each local authority area, range in size from small numbers of units to projects of over 50 units.

The projects have been subjected to a value-for-money review by officials at the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. Local authorities submitted applications for direct building programmes, with approval being granted to over 100 projects in just two months.

Further assessments will be carried out throughout the rest of the year, with some projects requiring planning approval. All will be completed by 2017.

The move is part of the government’s €4 billion social housing strategy to deliver 35,000 housing units out to 2020 and to reduce the housing waiting lists by 25 per cent nationally by 2017 based on the most recent housing need assessment report.