Almost 3,000 cost-rental and social homes to be built in Dublin by housing agency Respond

Almost 3,000 cost-rental and social homes are to be built at sites across Dublin by housing charity Respond in the largest mixed-tenure housing programme undertaken since the property crash more than a decade ago.

Just under half the homes will be cost-rental housing available to workers who earn too much to qualify for social housing supports but cannot afford to buy or rent on the open market.

The remaining homes will be allocated to people on the social housing waiting lists of the Dublin local authorities in the areas where the homes will be built.

The first tranches of homes, just over 1,800 of the 2,906 total, will be built at four sites in the north and west of the city, in the Dublin City, Fingal and South Dubin County Council areas.

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The largest development will be in the Fingal area at Charlestown, north of Finglas village, where 590 apartments are to be built at Pipers Square, of which 284 will be cost-rental homes with 306 social homes.

In Tallaght, 502 apartments will be built on the site of the former Gallaher’s cigarette factory at the junction of Airton Road and Greenhills Road. A greater proportion of these homes will be for cost rental tenants, 289 apartments, with 213 for tenants on South Dublin County Council’s social housing list.

Back in north Dublin, 397 homes are to be built on Clarehall Avenue in Donaghmede, by Respond in partnership with Dublin City Council. Despite facing the greatest pressures for affordable rental accommodation in the State, no cost-rental homes have yet been provided in the Dublin City Council area. This scheme will mean the construction of 153 cost-rental homes and 244 social homes.

The smallest of the four developments at Clonburris in South Dublin, with 318 homes, is expected to be the first completed, with 170 cost-rental homes and 148 social homes due to be ready for tenants at the Seven Mills development by next September. Clonburris, the State’s newest town, is expected to have 9,000 houses and apartments for a population of more than 23,000, similar in size to Newbridge, by the end of the decade.

All of the four developments will be on-site in 2024, Respond said, with locations for the remaining 1,099 homes announced in the new year.

“This is a landmark moment not just for Respond but for the future of housing in Ireland. These mixed-tenure developments are a testament to our commitment to creating diverse, inclusive communities,” said Respond spokeswoman Niamh Randall.

“By integrating social and cost-rental homes, Respond aims to build vibrant neighbourhoods that will enhance the quality of life for all tenants and the wider community that benefits all tenants.”

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said Respond’s approach to “large-scale mixed-tenure developments, sets a new standard in housing provision in Ireland”.

Under the cost-rental system, rents are based on the cost of building, managing and maintaining the homes, and not market rates. Tenants also have long-term security, with leases running to several years available. Income limits for cost-rental housing applicants were earlier this year increased to €66,000, after tax, in Dublin.

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