Taskforce Set Up To House Ukrainian Refugees Long Term

Tuesday, 26 April 2022 10:07

By Caoimhe Harney

Cabinet will be updated today on plans to house people fleeing the war

A cross Departmental housing taskforce has been set up to figure out where to house Ukrainian refugees long term.

Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien will tell his colleagues at a cabinet meeting today, a number of medium to long term plans are being put in place to ensure there is enough accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.

Some are aimed at the wider housing market with others being more targeted.

The Minister will detail an expanded voids programme - to bring vacant social housing back into use.

Local authorities will also have more powers to acquire homes - including more homes for housing first, those exiting homelessness or people with a disability.

The Minister will also say a cross-sectoral and cross-department taskforce has been set up for longer term planning.

That will include the conversion of vacant buildings to accommodation for Ukrainian refugees, and activating some of the roughly 80,000 planning permissions nationwide which are in the system but haven't yet been started.

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