Council aiming to deliver 82 new social homes this year

Roscommon County Council is aiming to deliver 82 new social homes this year.

The council had set a target of 53 new builds, but this looks set to be exceeded, with 82 new builds anticipated.

Last year, the council’s target of 52 new homes was exceeded with the building of 60 new homes.

The local authority has a target of 240 new housing builds over the lifespan of the Housing For All initiative. At the end of 2025, it reached just over 91% of its delivery target, with a projection to exceed the overall target by the end of 2026.

According to the council, the target of 240 homes between 2022 and 2026 will be exceeded with the delivery of 253 units in the period under review. The council says it is also making strong progress through the Land Acquisition Fund (LAF), working closely with the Housing Agency and the department to secure well-located sites.

“By taking a proactive, partnership-based approach to acquisitions focused on due diligence, value for money, and deliverability, the council is building a stronger pipeline of ‘shovel-ready’ opportunities for the future,” said a spokesperson.

“This work supports a mix of delivery routes , including local authority build and turnkey, and strengthens Roscommon County Council’s ability to respond to local housing need in a timely and planned way. While 41 new builds were delivered in 2024, the figure once again rose to 60 last year with a considerable projected increase to 82 projected new builds for this year.

“When analysed further, various delivery mechanisms were employed to deliver these new social housing units, including local authority construction/renewal, turnkey, part V and approved housing bodies developments. The local authority is working closely with approved housing bodies and the private sector to accelerate delivery,” the spokesperson explained.

Housing officer Ann McHugh said these figures were indicative of positive trends in meeting local housing demand: “Tackling housing supply requires very careful planning and collaboration. We are committed to building upon what is being achieved and significantly increasing the housing supply in our county. We are committed to meeting housing need through sustained delivery and collaboration, while creating engaged, vibrant communities where people can thrive and feel connected.”

*Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme