Donegal County Council is hoping to deliver 1,268 new social housing units by 2026, with 161 new projects currently underway.
A special meeting of council today was told that new staff have been taken on by the council to deal with various elements of housing, including a team dedicated to identifying potential land banks that the authority could acquire in areas where there is an identified need.
In a series of presentations from officials, members were told the 2026 target of 1,268 units is 44% above the ‘Housing for All’ target of 879 set for Donegal by the government.
It also exceeds the net need of 1,088 units as defined by department guidelines. However, the gross need in the county is 2,848 when transfer requests are added.
When broken down to municipal district level, the gross need in Letterkenny – Milford is 1,162, while in Inishowen, the gross need is 656.
The Donegal MD has a gross need of 410, Lifford – Stranorlar’s need is 405, while in Glenties, the need is 213.
Members were briefed on how the council intends meeting the 2026 target.
The meeting was told that there isn’t a problem with rough sleepers in Donegal, and the council is working with St Vincent de Paul to deal with emergency cases. However, officials stressed there is no room for complacency, and the situation is continually reviewed.
