The five objectives of the Housing Supply Strategy

The Housing Supply Strategy is designed to deliver 100,000+ homes by 2039, with overall aims to boost affordability, prevent homelessness, improve quality, create “thriving places”, and ensure homes are low-carbon and future-ready. agendaNi outlines the five objectives of the strategy.

Objective 1: Creating affordable options

Goal: Increase housing supply and affordable options across all tenures.

Key targets:

• Deliver at least 100,000 homes over 15 years; 33,000 to be social homes.
• Develop intermediate rental products for those not eligible for social housing but priced out of ownership.
• Increase housing completions to close the supply gap.
• Enhance housing data systems and mapping of public land to better plan supply.
• Address infrastructure constraints, especially wastewater capacity.
• Encourage financial innovation, e.g., use of Financial Transactions Capital, ESG investment.
• Improve policy, legislative and planning frameworks to support land availability and reuse of existing buildings.

Objective 2: Prevention and intervention

Goal: Prevent homelessness, reduce housing stress, and support vulnerable groups.

Key targets:

• Deliver housing that meets diverse and specific needs: elderly, disabled, domestic violence survivors, etc.
• Support homelessness prevention and make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurrent.
• Implement and support Housing First and other wraparound support models.
• Ensure fair and objective social housing allocation based on need.
• Collaborate on interdepartmental actions, e.g., for those leaving care or the justice system.
• Implement the Supporting People Strategy and Irish Travellers Accommodation Strategy.

Objective 3: Quality and safety

Goal: Improve the quality of homes across all tenures.

Key targets:

• Raise energy efficiency standards (measured through SAP ratings).
• Update the Fitness Standard for housing to reflect modern living needs.
• Reform the private rented sector to improve safety and management.
• Maintain and improve existing social housing stock to ensure long-term viability.
• Promote design standards that account for ageing and disability.
• Expand retrofit programmes and modern methods of construction.

Objective 4: Better places

Goal: Support the development of thriving and inclusive communities.

Key targets:

• Integrate housing planning with Local Development Plans and place-shaping efforts.
• Promote mixed-tenure developments to support diverse communities.
• Improve community involvement in housing planning and regeneration.
• Encourage use of public and underutilised land to regenerate neighbourhoods.
• Develop indicators around community belonging, safety, and influence in local decisions.

Objective 5: A fair path to low-carbon housing

Goal: Ensure homes support both affordability and climate goals.

Key targets:

• Contribute to at least a 48% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050.
• Ensure new homes meet low-carbon standards from the outset.
• Expand retrofit programmes to upgrade energy performance of older homes.
• Promote innovation and skills in low-carbon construction and heating systems.
• Align with wider strategies (e.g. Energy Strategy, Green Growth) for low-carbon transitions in housing.