Social and affordable housing delivery statistics for Quarter 1 2025
- Published on: 14 July 2025
- Last updated on: 14 July 2025
- almost 25,500 social homes are at various stages of design and construction
- affordable housing continues to gain momentum – delivery in Q1 2025 increased by 49% compared to the same quarter last year
- the number of new-build social homes more than double Quarter 1 2024 (126%)
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage today published its social and affordable housing delivery statistics for Q1 2025.
Social homes delivery
In Quarter 1 2025, 646 new social homes were delivered, including 358 new-build homes, 170 acquisitions and 118 homes delivered through leasing programmes. When the Housing Assistance Payment (1,701) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (365) are added, 2,712 housing supports were delivered in Q1 2025.
Although the number of new-build homes was more than double the corresponding figure in Quarter 1 2024 (when 158 new-build homes were delivered), the full picture regarding delivery will be much clearer towards the end of the year. This is because, traditionally, the delivery of social housing by local authorities builds throughout the year and a significant part of the delivery is delivered in the second half of the year.
For example, in 2024, 6,686 new build social homes were delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies in the second half of the year, 85% of the overall delivery for 2024. In 2023, 83% of all new-build delivery occurred in the second half of the year with 67% of the annual total in Q4 alone.
The government are starting and completing homes and continuing record delivery on social housing at levels not seen since the 1970s.
Construction Status Report
The department has also published the Construction Status Report (CSR) for Q1 2025 today. The CSR provides scheme-level detail on new-build social housing activity and is published on the department’s website. This is sorted by local authority, and gives a list of the individual projects that make up the new-build programme for that local authority (excluding Local Authority Part V, CAS Part V and Traveller Accommodation build delivery).
The latest report shows that 25,457 social homes are at various stages of design and construction (that includes 11,504 social homes onsite at the end of March 2025 with an additional 13,953 homes at design and tender stage). In Quarter 1 2025, 50 new construction schemes (875 homes) were added to the pipeline.
Commenting on the publication of the social and affordable housing delivery statistics and the CSR, Minister James Browne noted the typically low output associated with Q1 but acknowledged the uptick in new-build homes:
“The first quarter figures today reflect a slow start to the year, which is not unusual given the traditional peaks and troughs of local authority delivery. However, we can take some encouragement from the fact the number of new-build social homes more than doubled compared to the same period last year.
“The goal of increasing local authority new-build activity on local authority lands is critical to our ability to meet targets, both current and future, and was foremost in my mind when I recently announced a number of key changes to how we approach local authority development.
“This included the use of a standardised design approach in all new-build social housing projects by local authorities and approved housing bodies and a streamlined single approval process removing the requirement for additional detailed submissions for review and approval throughout the project lifecycle. These changes will facilitate the greater use of Modern Methods of Construction in social housing projects, ensure more efficient department sign-off and provide greater certainty for the Exchequer.
“I will continue to directly engage with the local authority sector to ensure that the benefits of the new streamlined processes are making a tangible difference right across the country and that we are getting that critical acceleration we need on housing delivery.
“I have already published tables showing the new-build social housing delivery achieved by all local authorities as set against their targets from 2022-2024. In line with that, I will now begin publishing these figures each quarter in conjunction with the traditional social and affordable statistics on my department’s website. While the figures are low at this point in the cycle, this data will begin to paint an important picture as we move into the second half of the year and especially beyond, showing where delivery is happening, and at what pace, and the type of delivery we are achieving in each local authority. The publishing of these figures on a rolling basis is a positive step in terms of transparency with stakeholders and the public and will help to facilitate vitally important policy conversations and decisions.”
Affordable housing
In Q1 this year, over 1,600 affordable housing supports have been delivered via Approved Housing Bodies, Local Authorities, the Cost Rental Tenant-in-Situ scheme, the First Home Scheme, and through the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. In total, since the launch of Housing for All, over 14,500 affordable housing options have been delivered.
Q1 2025 has seen the continued strong performance of the various affordable housing pathways, with affordable delivery increased by over 49% over levels achieved in Q1 2024, highlighting the continued, year-on-year increase of affordable housing delivery under Housing for All.
This Q1 delivery represents 25% of 2025’s target of 6,400 affordable supports, with the department on track to maintain affordable delivery levels similar to 2024.
First Home Scheme
The First Home Scheme in particular has proven to be a key support for first-time buyers. Over 6,750 First Home Shared Equity Scheme approvals have issued since its launch in July 2022 across all local authorities, with 72% of all approvals issued in Dublin, Cork, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. In total, 727 approvals were issued in Q1 2025, with 271 homes purchased. This scheme continues to support first-time buyers and other eligible homebuyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market, with continued strong performance anticipated this year.
Local Authority Affordable Purchase Delivery
To the end Q1 2025, over 1,700 Local Authority Affordable Purchase homes have been delivered since the launch of Housing for All, with 135 homes delivered in Q1 2025. The affordable purchase delivery pipeline continues to grow with over 4,700 affordable purchase homes approved for support under the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) across 22 local authority areas.
Overall, over 6,000 affordable homes (affordable purchase and cost rental) in 22 local authorities have been approved for delivery, supported by almost €543 million in grant assistance from the AHF.
Cost Rental Homes
In relation to Cost Rental, to date since launch nearly 4,000 Cost Rental homes in the State have been delivered by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), Local Authorities, the LDA and through the Cost Rental Tenant-in-Situ scheme.
In terms of AHB delivery, since the launch of the Cost Rental Equity Loan in 2021 to the end of Q1 2025, over 2,100 homes have been delivered across fourteen Local Authority Areas, with approval for a further 4,300 homes approved for delivery by the end of 2027.
Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, introduced in July 2022, is part of a range of initiatives to address vacancy and make bringing existing properties back into use more affordable.
To the end of Q1 2025 since launch, 12,404 applications have been received, 8,652 approvals have been issued and 2,096 grants have been paid out under the scheme. The level of grant drawdowns continues to ramp up, with drawdowns increasing by more than 254% from Q1 2024. This level of activity is expected to continue, with the number of drawdowns anticipated to continue to rise this year as more works continue to be completed.
Minister Browne emphasised:
“There are various reasons why some people have found it challenging to access accommodation and we have developed a variety of affordable options and supports to meet different types of obstacles.
“I am determined to get this system moving to deliver what we need – homes for people to grow up and grow old in – within communities they are part of.
“Affordable housing schemes are now operating at scale and the affordable housing delivery programme continues to expand and develop year on year, supported by unprecedented levels of investment from this government.
“Already, in Q1 2025 alone, a total of 1,606 affordable housing options have been delivered, with a strong pipeline in place for the remainder of the 2025. This momentum will be maintained, as the pipeline of affordable housing delivery is developed and expanded by local authorities, AHBs and the LDA – and with my full support.”