The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, today published figures showing 2,481 vacant social homes were brought back into active use in 2023 under the Voids Programme. The Voids Programmes provides money to Councils for renovations to empty social houses to enable the houses to be re-allocated. The 2,481 houses reallocated in 2023 cost €46M to renovate.
In county Tipperary a total of 100 houses in the council housing stock were renovated in 2023 at a total cost of €2.4M. Since 2014 the Department has provided funding of €335M towards renovating 23, 315 homes.
Minister O’Brien says “Refurbishment and the return to use of vacant properties helps to reduce pressure on existing housing stock, increase supply, and ultimately, provide much needed homes for people.
All local authorities are encouraged by the Department of Housing to continue to be as proactive as possible in the return of all vacant properties to use through the use of the Voids Funding Programme as well as other programmes such as the Buy & Renew and Repair & Lease Schemes.
The Department published the figures for the Homeless Emergency Accommodation service in December on Friday January 26th. 13, 318 people were recorded as homeless in December including 3,962 children down by 196 compared to November’s total number of people in Emergency Accommodation.
