Almost 15,000 homes could be built on state-owned land fairly quickly, LDA finds

A REPORT BY the Land Development Agency (LDA) has found that almost 15,000 homes could be constructed by 2032 on state-owned land.

The LDA, the state’s affordable housing agency, is required to submit an updated report every two years, identifying public land with the potential to be unlocked for affordable and social housing development. 

The report also highlighted 32 parcels of land where homes could be constructed relatively quickly.

According to the LDA, these “least constrained” locations have the potential to provide between 10,860 and 14,780 homes within the next seven years.

The agency defines “least constrained” land as being appropriately zoned and well-serviced with the potential for housing development to be completed within five to ten years by the LDA.

70 areas of “moderately and significantly constrained” parcels of state-owned land were also identified, which the LDA believes could deliver between 42,260 to 56,050 in the long term.

In total, they found that 70,830 homes could be built on state-owned land.

Of the 32 least constrained areas, the report found 14 in Dublin, with the potential to deliver up to 8,930 homes across the county.

Four were identified in Cork with the potential to deliver up to 920 homes, and three in Waterford with the potential for 930 homes.

There are two in Galway (420 homes) and one in each of Limerick (290 homes).

Dearbhla Lawson, Director of Planning Services at the LDA said the report “builds on the work completed in the 2023 report” and includes a review and new analysis of 45 other census towns – towns with a population over 10,000 people. 

The LDA is on track to see its output of new homes more than double next year to 2,000, before ramping up to 3,500 a year by 2027, as the agency evolves to delivering more homes on State land, according to LDA chief executive John Coleman.

The agency delivered a total of 992 homes last year, mostly apartments.