Co-operative Housing Ireland (CHI) today announced a record-breaking year in 2023 with the delivery of 849 homes. In the last four years, CHI has delivered 2,019 social-rental homes. In publishing its delivery figures, CHI is also calling for a significant increase in social housing output beyond targets in Housing for All and for social housing output to be one-third of all housing delivered.

2023 was significant for CHI in its efforts to provide high-quality homes to lower-income households across Ireland since 1973:

• 849 houses and apartments, new homes to 2,194 people

• CHI’s annual housing delivery has increased from 245 in 2018 to 849 in 2023

• Today, CHI provides more than 5,000 homes to nearly 14,000 people in 24 counties partnering with 31 local authorities

• Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, CHI is a unique AHB with six of its board members living in a CHI home. Historically, CHI supported 3,000 homeownership co-operatives

• Award winning – ‘Net Zero’ at the Chartered Institute of Housing All Ireland Housing Awards 2023, ‘Building Communities’ at the Irish Council for Social Housing Allianz Community Housing Awards 2023

Commenting on the announcement, Eoin Carroll, CHI’s Director of Policy and Communications, said, “Achieving the delivery of 849 homes in 2023 is a significant accomplishment given the impact of inflation, interest rates and war. We are very proud that nearly 14,000 people across Ireland call a CHI house or apartment ‘their home for life’.”

Carroll continued: “It is now an imperative that housing output increases beyond targets set in Housing for All maintaining the delivery target ratio 1:2 whereby 1 in every 3 homes are social houses. We look forward to 2024 and will continue to play our part in satisfying the increasing housing output needs in Ireland.”

Co-operative Housing Ireland’s success is due to its ability to work co-operatively with key partners including the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Local Authorities, the Housing Agency, the Housing Finance and other lenders, and builders/developers.

In November, CHI launched a record 208 homes in Kilruddery Glen, Southern Cross, Bray, which was the largest delivery of social-rented estates in Wicklow in 2023, one of the largest delivered by an Approved Housing Body (AHB), and the largest in the history of Co-operative Housing Ireland.

CHI is unique as an organisation in that all new Member tenants are part of a local co-operative which gives them an opportunity to influence decisions affecting their estates and communities. Member tenants are also responsible for nominating people to be elected to CHI’s Board thereby influencing the direction of Co-operative Housing Ireland as an organisation.