Launch of application process for Cost Rental homes at Stepaside

Launch of application process for Cost Rental homes at Stepaside

On Tuesday 7th September, applications were open to people who are eligible for the 50 purpose built Cost Rental homes at Enniskerry Road, Stepaside, Dublin. These Cost Rental homes will be managed by Respond and Tuath Housing and are being delivered for Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council on land provided by the Housing Agency under the land aggregation scheme.

The application process was launched on DAFT and eligible tenants will be randomly selected. The 50 2-bedroom apartments will be let from October at a monthly rent of €1,200, a significant reduction when compared to market rents for 2-bedroom apartments in this location. The rent charged to tenants has been designed to only cover the actual costs and will not be driven by market movements. People can register at www.respond.ie and www.tuathhousing.ie. We strongly advise that people check their eligibility before applying. This includes:

• Net household income is below €53,000 per annum.
• Not in receipt of any form of social housing support (Including a HAP payment).
• Do not own a property.
• Household size is appropriate to the size of the property advertised.
• Can afford to pay the rent for the property.
• Household has only entered one application for cost rental property per development.

The project is the result of an innovative collaboration between Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the Housing Agency, Respond and Tuath Housing Associations. Funding for the development is being provided through the Housing Finance Agency and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien noted: “Cost rental is about providing secure, high-quality homes at affordable rents. It’s been much talked about in recent years, but now we are delivering. I’d like to thank Tuath and Respond for all their work on this project at Enniskerry Road, which is a perfect example of how Government can support our Housing Bodies and local authorities to build real affordable homes that will make a real difference to people’s lives.

Increasing the scale of Cost Rental in Ireland is a key Government objective and an important part of our Housing for All Plan. We want to see 18,000 Cost Rental homes delivered in our urban centres by Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and the Land Development Agency over the duration of this Plan. The success of projects such as this show that we can absolutely reach that ambitious target.”.

Daragh O’Sullivan, Chairman of Tuath Housing commented;

“Tuath is delighted to be working on these cost rental homes in partnership with Respond, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, The Housing Agency, The Housing Finance Agency and the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government. We are thrilled to be involved in a project which offers moderate income households the choice of a more affordable, long-term and stable form of rental tenure than exists presently, with the added benefit that their rent will not be driven by price changes in the private rental market.”.

CEO of Respond, Declan Dunne said:

“Respond are excited, with our partners, to be able to bring these 50 Cost Rental Homes to people who for a long time have been caught in an impossible situation where they do not qualify for social housing yet a mortgage or private rental accommodation is not an option for them. This would not have been possible but for the coming together of these different partners for a unique collaboration. This is a new departure in the delivery of housing in Ireland, providing a new type of housing tenure in addition to social housing, private renting and private purchase. We look forward very much to being able to deliver other cost rental developments around the country to those who are eligible.”

CEO of the Housing Agency John O’Connor:

“The Housing Agency has been central to developing a vision for cost rental homes in Ireland. The Agency has been working on the Enniskerry Road project with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council over a number of years. Having managed the transfer of lands to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council as part of this project, The Housing Agency has worked closely with the local authority as well as with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Tuath, Respond and the Housing Finance Agency in bringing this project to completion. We would like to congratulate our partners on this great achievement and wish the future residents of these homes many happy years in Enniskerry Road.”

CEO of the Housing Finance Agency, Barry O’Leary noted :

“The HFA is delighted to support this new scheme on the Enniskerry Road, providing 50 new affordable rental properties at a significant discount to current market rates and also another 105 much needed social homes for those in need. This innovative approach involving collaboration between two of the most active AHBs, Tuath and Respond, and competitive long term fixed rate finance from the HFA is a model which can be replicated for future transactions to support large scale mixed use developments.”

Cathaoirleach Lettie McCarthy commented:

“It is wonderful to see these 50 cost rental units being advertised and they will provide much needed homes for the people of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. This collaboration is a yet another new connected community that has been developed close to amenities, with access to public transport, local commercial centres and only a short walk from the beautiful Fernhill Park and Gardens. I would like to thank the Council staff and our partners in Tuath, Respond and the Housing Agency for bringing this scheme to fruition and look forward to any future collaborations.”

For further information and interviews contact:

Editors Notes:

The Enniskerry Road Project was designed by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for the construction of 155 social and affordable homes, a community facility along with green spaces at Enniskerry Road, Stepaside, Dublin 18. The site is located near to a wide range of amenities, public facilities, schools, health services, local community and sports groups. Enniskerry Road provides access to the LUAS Green Line, the 47 bus route, and the M50 motorway. The project is the result of a collaboration between Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the Housing Agency, Respond and Tuath Housing Associations, and the Housing Finance Agency. Financial support is also being provided through the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

The project includes 50 Cost Rental homes and 105 social homes to be apportioned between Respond (78 homes including 25 Cost Rental) and Tuath (77 homes including 25 Cost Rental). The homes are a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom properties. All of the 50 Cost Rental homes are 2-bedroom apartments.

For more information on eligability and to apply please click on the link HERE: