Ireland’s housing targets will not be met without AHBs and here is why
The Government’s new housing roadmap sets the most ambitious targets in the history of the State. Delivering 60,000 new homes per year from now to 2030, it will take a concerted multi-stakeholder effort to achieve this, writes John Hannigan, CEO, Circle.
However, these ambitious targets can only be met if approved housing bodies (AHBs) are empowered and supported to continue their central role in the delivery of new homes. AHBs continue to be among the most effective partners in delivering social and cost rental homes at scale and to the highest regulatory standards. AHBs are not just part of the solution, they are already a driving force in delivering it.
In 2024, AHBs delivered 4,385 social homes, accounting for more than 41 per cent of all social housing completed by local authorities and AHBs combined. Between 2023 and 2024, Housing Alliance members delivered over 10,000 social homes and more than 1,500 cost-rental homes, with a further 26,000 homes in the development pipeline to 2028. While many partners must continue to scale up delivery, these figures demonstrate that AHBs remain among the largest contributors to Ireland’s social and cost rental housing supply. AHBs’ ongoing participation will be essential to sustaining the momentum required to meet national housing targets and to ensure that households most in need can access secure, affordable homes.
AHBs are not-for-profit charities, regulated by the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority, the Charities Regulator, and the Companies Office. We exist solely to serve public need. We reinvest every cent of our surpluses back into more housing, better services, and stronger communities. We do not sell homes. We do not distribute surpluses. And we operate under more scrutiny than any other private or public housing provider.
“I am very happy here living in Richmond Place, it is absolutely heaven, the peace and the quiet is unbelievable, the staff at Circle are so very helpful and everyone you meet is happy. I have never met a sad person since I have moved in.” Mary, a tenant in Circle’s newly delivered Richmond Place development in Dublin.
Circle provides homes to thousands of families and individuals across Ireland. We do this in partnership with local authorities through their nominations process. Our team works with the Department of Housing, local authorities, The Housing Agency, Housing Finance Agency, pillar banks, such as Allied Irish Bank and Bank of Ireland, alongside others including the Credit Union to deliver national housing policy. Our partnership approach is delivering real homes, right now. We are acutely aware of the importance of providing safe, secure housing options for communities and the importance of having your own front door, your own home.
A home is more than a roof over your head. It is so much more than bricks and mortar. It is the place where children do homework, where neighbours connect, where older people feel safe, and where those rebuilding their lives after a crisis find stability. AHBs like Circle are experts not just in delivering homes but in creating thriving communities. We design with people in mind, and our developments promote inclusion, environmental sustainability and social cohesion. We deliver long-term value for the State, and our oversight ensures transparency and accountability at every stage of the housing journey.
Ireland’s updated housing targets demand more than policy, they demand action. And needs tested, trusted, capable delivery partners like AHBs. We have confirmed property development pipelines, the professional people needed to deliver them, and the established partnerships in place to drive efficiency. With consistent, clearer funding commitments and policy backing, we can continue to build upon our delivery record with a surplus of homes over the next five years. The AHB sector has already proven our capacity, what we need now is the empowerment and support to scale up housing delivery.
Circle is a proud member of the Housing Alliance. Together with our partner members, we have delivered tens of thousands of high-quality new homes across Ireland. We bring national scale, local insight and housing expertise to everything we do. We do not just develop property, we are long-term secure housing providers that offer housing across multiple tenures, including cost rental, age-friendly and social rented.
AHBs have long term vision and believe in managing and maintaining properties with care and purpose. We do all of this with the oversight, financial discipline and compliance expected of not-for-profits operating in the public’s interest. We know that there is already awareness and support for AHBs across the housing sector but to do more, to build more homes for more people, to support the Government’s ambitious housing delivery targets, we need clarity, consistency and firm recognition that AHBs are not a backup plan. We need to be recognised as the backbone of the housing sector. AHBs are willing, ready and able to build homes right now and we have the track record to prove it. So, let us back what works, let us enable AHBs and let us get more people into more homes today.
