REVEALED: The number of social homes reactivated from vacancy in Kilkenny

Kilkenny County Council has made significant progress under the Voids Programme returning 57 vacant social homes to active use in both 2023 and 2024.

This being welcomed by governemnt as a strong sign of the council’s move towards a planned maintenance model that enables quicker repairs continuous use and faster re-letting of social homes.

This approach is expected to continue into 2025 ensuring ongoing upkeep and more consistent occupancy across the council’s housing stock.

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Over the past ten years from 2014 to 2024, a total of 407 vacant social homes in Kilkenny have been brought back into use through the programme.

Minister for Housing Local Government and Heritage James Browne praised Kilkenny County Council for their sustained efforts.

“I commend Kilkenny County Council for their partnership in returning these homes to active use over 10 years from 2014–2024. Their efforts will have a meaningful impact on 407 households,” he said.

Nationally, the Voids Programme supported local authorities in bringing 2357 vacant social homes back into active use in 2024.

The programme plays a central role in making more efficient use of the existing housing stock by preparing vacant homes for re-letting and complements wider efforts to address vacancy and dereliction across the country.

Since 2020, the government has invested almost €190 million to return 13,177 homes to use which represents more than half or 51% of the 25,672 homes brought back into use since the programme began in 2014.

Minister Browne said that he is 'currently pulling every lever to reactivate vacant properties'.

"Under my direction, the Department is acting quickly to bring vacant social housing back into use across towns and villages which is critical to help ease pressure on the existing housing stock boost supply and ultimately to provide much-needed homes," he said.

“Beyond addressing the demand for social housing renovating these unoccupied homes also benefits communities by preventing decline and abandonment and I feel strongly about getting this done as fast as is possible for people.

“No one wants to see properties that should be homes lying idle.”

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Welcoming national progress in reducing vacancy, he added “The number of vacant social homes requiring pre-letting work was lower last year than in 2023. This is because we are actively shifting to what’s known as a ‘planned maintenance’ approach for our social housing stock in order to minimise the time it takes to re-let properties.”

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