Celbridge Facing 300+ Year Wait For New Homes Based On Current Building Rates

Housing analysis puts Celbridge among the areas facing the longest wait for new homes for first time buyers.

A new analysis examining the housing crisis has highlighted the scale of demand in parts of Kildare, with one area facing a potential wait of more than 300 years for enough homes to be built.

The figures were compiled by Rob Cass, director of Irish Sustainable Homes, and data analyst Edward Dixon, CEO of Rigr AI, and published on the website onemillionhomes.ie.

Their research estimates how long it would take to provide homes for people aged 18 to 44 who do not currently own a property, based on the number of houses built in each area last year.

Centuries-long wait in Celbridge

According to the analysis, Celbridge has one of the longest estimated waits for housing in the country.

Based on recent construction rates, the area would face an estimated 337.7-year wait for enough homes to be built for 5,741 people aged 18 to 44 who are not homeowners.

Around 17 homes were built in the area over the past year, according to the data used in the analysis.

Nationally, Palmerstown–Fonthill in Dublin ranks worse, with an estimated wait of more than 1,300 years.

Mixed picture across Kildare

However, the picture across Kildare is mixed.

Some parts of the county rank among the areas with the shortest estimated waiting times for a home, including:

Leixlip – 16.2 years

Athy – 21.2 years

The shortest estimated wait in the country was recorded in Drogheda Rural, at just eight years.

Kildare among the top counties for new builds

Despite the challenges highlighted in some areas, Kildare is also among the counties building homes at the fastest rate.

The county recorded the highest rate of new housing construction in the country, with 27 homes built per 1,000 people, followed by Laois (24.5 per 1,000) and Wicklow (24 per 1,000).

National housing pressure

Across the State, the analysis estimates there are around 1.3 million people aged between 18 and 44 who do not own a home.

Based on 36,284 homes built nationally last year, the figures highlight the scale of housing demand facing younger adults.

The analysis also points out that while around 550,000 jobs have been created in Ireland over the past decade, only 200,000 homes have been built during the same period, adding to pressure on the housing market.

The researchers note that their calculations are based on fixed census population data and newly built homes only, and do not include the second-hand housing market.