€1.36m is allocated to bring vacant social homes back into use in Wicklow
Almost €1.37 million has been allocated to Wicklow to help return vacant social homes to use next year as part of a major national housing investment.
Housing Minister James Browne has announced a €40 million national fund for 2026 aimed at preparing around 2,200 local authority homes for re-letting. The investment represents a 29% increase on last year’s funding.
Under the plan, Wicklow County Council will receive €1,366,940, up from just over €1.06 million in 2025.
The funding will be used to refurbish empty council properties across County Wicklow so they can be returned to the social housing system more quickly.
Faster turnaround for vacant homes
The funding forms part of the Government’s Voids Programme, which focuses on repairing and preparing council homes that become vacant between tenants.
A new system is also being introduced which will link future funding to performance, encouraging local authorities to reduce the time homes remain empty.
The Government has set targets to bring vacancy rates down to 2% by 2027, with the average turnaround time for preparing a property reduced from 18 weeks to 12 weeks by 2029.
Minister: homes must not sit empty
Announcing the funding, Minister Browne said the changes are designed to ensure homes do not remain vacant during the housing crisis.
He said the new model will support and incentivise councils to return properties to use as quickly as possible, helping more families access secure housing sooner.
Shift toward planned maintenance
Local authorities are also increasingly moving toward a planned maintenance model, carrying out repairs proactively so that homes can be re-let faster when they become vacant.
Since the Voids Programme began in 2014, the Government says €385 million has been invested nationwide, helping to bring 27,860 social homes back into active use.
The latest funding is expected to help ensure that more homes in Wicklow and across the country are returned to the housing supply faster.
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