Department of Housing data shows that a total of 39,065 new social homes had been delivered in the five-year period to the end of 2020. This included 22,977 new builds or refurbished local authority properties that had been taken out of use. Local authorities had bought 10,867 homes for tenants and leased 5,221, a form of provision criticised for leaving public bodies without ownership of the property asset when the lease ends.
âNo other local government issue generates so much of a councillorâs workload as is the case with housing and homelessness,â said Mary Hoade, president of the Association of Irish Local Government, the representative body for the Stateâs 949 local councillors.