Housing body Respond delivered 66 new social and cost rental homes in Kildare in 2023

Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien TD welcomes Respond’s progress as he launches its 2023 Annual Report

Respond, Ireland’s largest construction-led Approved Housing Body and service provider, delivered 66 new social and cost rental homes in Kildare last year.

Respond now owns and manages 371 homes throughout Kildare, providing secure and affordable accommodation for tenants.

Respond will have a record 4,000 new social and cost rental homes under construction by the end of 2024. This milestone represents a threefold increase in its home building programme over the past year. Respond’s strategy focuses on developing mixed tenure schemes of both social and cost rental homes to build diverse and inclusive communities.  

Respond currently has 2,925 new social and cost rental homes in development at 21 sites across the country under its €1.2BN construction programme.

Respond is strongly committed to increasing the national housing stock; this means buying the land, funding the construction at every stage with in-house experts to oversee the construction process ensuring both quality and cost control. This is rather than competing for existing homes already built.

Respond’s unique construction-led home building model, which sees Respond buy sites outright and finance construction through Fixed Price Contracts, enables a saving of, on average, €65,000 in the construction of each home. This means there is the potential for a saving of €260M on the construction of the 4,000 homes, compared to a housing acquisition model. Respond’s projects are managed through staged payments verified by independent Quantity Surveyors which helps to manage both cost and quality delivering value for money for the State. Respond builds homes that add to the national housing stock they then own and manage them in perpetuity for the State, ensuring long-term housing solutions. 80% of Respond’s developments are construction-led.

The announcement was made as Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O'Brien TD, launched Respond’s 2023 Annual Report, which details the continued positive impact Respond’s home building and community support services have in communities across Ireland.  

Key 2023 Achievements

• Delivered 666 new social and cost-rental homes to tenants.
• Commenced construction on a further 669 new homes in 2023.

• Delivered major housing projects such as:

     •  153 social homes at Long Mile Road in partnership with Dublin City Council,
     •  55 cost-rental homes at Mariner Way Rush in partnership with Fingal County Council,
     •  93 new homes across Cork in partnership with Cork City Council,
     •  89 new homes in Galway alongside Galway City Council.

Respond now manages 7,700 properties across 26 counties, providing secure accommodation at affordable prices for more than 17,000 tenants.

A blueprint for sustainable communities

Commenting at the launch of the 2023 Annual Report, Respond spokesperson Niamh Randall said:

“Our unique construction-led model provides a blueprint for cost-effective, consistent delivery of large-scale mixed tenure homes, incorporating both social and cost rental homes. We are building inclusive, long-term sustainable communities, with our developments placed close to amenities including schools and parks, public transport routes and commercial centres. Each development follows our evidence informed Housing Services Delivery model and includes community hubs, and often several of the additional community services we also provide, including Early Learning and School Age Care services, and services for older people, readily accessible for families.”  

Welcoming Respond’s progress, Darragh O'Brien TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, added: “I would like to commend Respond’s work in supporting families across the country, both in terms of delivering new homes and the essential community support services it provides. Through the hard work of Approved Housing Bodies like Respond, our social and cost rental housing supply is increasing and we are going in the right direction in meeting the demand for affordable housing. Under Housing for All, supply is increasing and will continue to do so through the hard work of our AHB partners such as Respond and our Local Authorities working in conjunction with my Department.”

Comprehensive Community Support Services

In addition to building homes, Respond plays a crucial role in supporting communities through a wide range of services that address family homelessness, early childhood education, and the needs of families and older people. Other highlights from 2023 include:

• Respond’s 15 Early Learning and School Age Care Services supported over 500 children throughout 2023.
• Respond’s six Family Homeless Services provided emergency accommodation, with 24/7 support, for 174 families who became homeless in 2023. Services included support to access housing, mental and physical health support, budgeting, and education. 
• Respond’s Family Support programme focused on early intervention and prevention, offering tailored services to meet the diverse needs of tenants and service users. In 2023, the team facilitated 726 engagements through a mix of online and in-person programmes, including targeted one-on-one support for 67 individuals. 
• Respond’s three Daycare Services for Older People supported 227 people to remain living independently in their own homes providing services support with physical health, mental health, and wellbeing.
• The award-winning Brain Health Village opened in 2023, delivering 56 homes in the Rathcoran development in Baltinglass, Wicklow. The Brain Health Village introduces tenants, employees, and the local community to the principles of brain health, fostering an environment conducive to physical and mental well-being and aiming to incorporate these principles into the fabric of Rathcoran.