Minister Browne announces end to turnkey acquisitions for social housing

Applications to cease by end 2027

New measure will ensure many more homes available in social and private sectors

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD today announced that he is going to introduce a cessation of Turnkey Acquisitions for the delivery of social housing with a much greater emphasis on own-build homes by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) going forward.

This change is envisaged to take place at the end of next year – with the final date for the

submission of Turnkey Acquisition funding applications to the Department being 31 December 2027 – to give local authorities and AHBs time to recalibrate. Following this date, no new Turnkey Acquisition proposals will be accepted for funding approval.

The policy will result in a transition away from the acquisition of new build social housing units upon completion, where the local authority or approved housing body has had no opportunity to influence the type of units to be delivered, and the development has already commenced or is complete, when the offer to sell to the local authority or approved housing body is made.

Future social housing will increasingly be delivered through the expansion of local authority and approved housing body own-build programmes and through a partnership development approach led by local authorities, approved housing bodies and the Land Development Agency (LDA).

Where developers are engaged in delivering social housing such engagement will occur at the earliest possible stage of project development to ensure that projects are designed to meet the identified social housing need and utilising standardised designs.

Explaining the importance of this measure, Minister Browne emphasised:

“This measure was a commitment in both our Programme for Government and our new Housing Action Plan, ‘Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030’. It will increase the emphasis on planned, needs-led social housing delivery and cease the reliance on the acquisition of homes that would otherwise have been available to the private market. In essence, it will ensure much more homes available in social and private sectors.

“I am determined to ensure that social housing is delivered through programmes where the State can influence the design, specification and mix of homes from the outset, ensuring that developments are aligned with identified social housing needs and local authority housing delivery objectives. This measure gives us the greater control needed to do just that.

“Additionally, the cessation of Turnkey Acquisitions – creating a greater focus on direct delivery by local authorities, AHBs and the LDA – will lead to a more sustainable and predictable pipeline of social housing provision over the longer term.”

A Social Housing Circular will issue shortly, setting out the revised policy and transition arrangements. Local authorities and AHBs will continue to be able to submit Turnkey Acquisition proposals up to 31 December 2027, after which no further applications for funding will be accepted.

Projects approved before that date will be permitted to proceed to completion and delivery. As a result, social housing output from the existing Turnkey Acquisition pipeline is expected to continue during 2027, 2028 and, in some cases, 2029, with delivery levels reducing over time as the approved pipeline is completed.

The Minister added:

“Meeting our ambitious social housing targets under the new Housing Action Plan will require that all other potential delivery opportunities for social housing are maximised - including through Part V and through active engagement with delivery partners such as approved housing bodies and the LDA. Including reforms such as this change announced today, I am confident that we can build on the record numbers of social housing we are already delivering.”

The Department will continue to support local authorities and AHBs in expanding own-build and partnership development-led delivery models to ensure continuity of social housing supply as the Turnkey Acquisition programme is phased out.