New-Build Social Housing Delivery Doubles to 714 Homes as 23,257 More Progress Through Pipeline
Q1 figures show public housing construction gathering pace, with almost 10,000 social homes now onsite and more than 13,000 at design or tender stage.
31 July 2026 | đŸ“§Â editor@ipropertyradio.com
The delivery of new-build social housing more than doubled during the first quarter of 2026, according to new figures published by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, providing an early indication of increased public housing output this year.
A total of 714 newly built social homes were completed between January and March, compared with 351 during the same period in 2025. Overall, 832 social homes were delivered during the quarter, comprising new-build homes, acquisitions and leased properties.
When Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) supports are included, the State provided 2,824 housing supports during the first three months of the year. This consisted of 714 new-build homes, 27 acquisitions, 91 leased homes, 1,457 HAP supports and 535 RAS supports.
While first-quarter delivery traditionally represents the slowest period of the year for local authorities, the latest figures indicate stronger momentum in direct construction. Social housing completions have historically accelerated during the second half of the year as projects reach practical completion.
Alongside the delivery statistics, the Department also published its Construction Status Report for Q1 2026, which provides a snapshot of the future delivery pipeline.
The report shows that 23,257 new social homes are currently progressing through design and construction nationwide. Of these, 9,935 homes were onsite at the end of March, while a further 13,322 homes were at design or tender stage.
The scale of the pipeline highlights the volume of public housing projects currently being advanced by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, although converting these schemes into completed homes will remain the key measure of delivery over the coming years.
Housing Minister James Browne said the first-quarter figures reflected encouraging progress but cautioned against reading too much into early-year data, noting that local authority delivery typically builds significantly as the year progresses.
He said the Government’s focus remains on completed homes rather than construction starts and emphasised that increasing delivery on local authority land remains central to meeting both current and future housing targets.
The Minister also pointed to recently announced reforms intended to accelerate delivery, including the introduction of standardised design approaches for local authority and Approved Housing Body developments and a single streamlined approval process that removes multiple departmental approval stages throughout project delivery.
According to the Department, the changes are intended to reduce administrative delays, provide greater certainty around project delivery, increase the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and improve efficiency across publicly funded housing schemes.
The Government has also committed under Housing for All to shift social housing provision increasingly towards permanent new-build homes while reducing reliance on long-term leasing arrangements.
With almost 10,000 social homes already under construction and more than 23,000 homes progressing through the delivery pipeline, the coming quarters will provide a clearer indication of whether the stronger start to 2026 translates into another record year for new-build social housing delivery.
