9:00

Welcome and opening remarks from the Chair

9:10

Welcome from the Irish Home Builders Association

9:20

MINISTERIAL ADDRESS:

Ireland’s new affordable housing plan

9:30

Economic outlook post Covid19 and Brexit

9:45

Housing Market Outlook

10:00

MORNING KEYNOTE ADDRESS:

Delivering affordable housing at scale: Best practices from around Europe

In many cities across Europe and beyond, the lack of good-quality affordable housing is a pressing problem, particularly in the intermediate housing segment – those households that don’t qualify for social housing but cannot afford full market prices. How can barriers to intermediate housing related to land availability, pricing, stakeholder trust and engagement and financing be overcome?

10:20

Networking break

10:35

INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDY:

Councils getting creative on housing delivery

UK local authorities are providing housing again on a scale not seen since the early 1990’s. Why is this and how is it being achieved? We will hear how public sector housebuilding has evolved into a more dynamic and diversified activity. 

10:45

PANEL DISCUSSION:

What are the root causes of Ireland’s housing affordability and supply problems? And, how do we solve them?

• Keeping prices down with government support and regulations
• How can land policy be used to improve housing affordability?
• Reviewing density requirements
• Streamlining the planning process
• Improving the cost and availability of development finance
• Affordable solutions to allow us to reach climate goals

11:20

Insights from one of Ireland’s leading homebuilders

11:35

Networking break

11:45

PANEL DISCUSSION:

Delivering affordable homes: How much state and how much market?

Is it time to forget about ideology and identify the best way that the public and private sectors can collaborate to deliver affordable housing? Can we create effective institutions to attract and retain private actors in this sector?

12:20

CASE STUDY:

Cork City Council’s social housing programme

12:30

PANEL DISCUSSION:

Review of homebuilding around the country

1:05

Lunch

1:30

Welcome back from the Chair

1:35

PANEL DISCUSSION:

Reforming national planning processes

• Revising planning systems to improve accessibility and efficiency
• Challenges faced when incorporating other issues beyond housing delivery, such as decarbonisation and public health, into the planning process
• Broadening the range of outcome measurements used for assessing planning applications
• Technological development and other forms of innovation emerging from the Covid-19 lockdown

2:05

AFTERNOON KEYNOTE ADDRESS:

Can a water-tight home be built in one day?

A project aimed at speeding up housing delivery with modern methods of construction (MMC) has found a way to build new homes that are wind- andmwater-tight within a day. The three-year Advanced Industrialised Methods for them Construction of Homes (AIMCH) project, which started 18 months ago, is trialling a range of solutions that could build homes faster. Working with some of the UK’s biggest housebuilders, the project compares new and old manufacturing methods on real building sites and the impact MMC can have on housebuilding

2:20

CASE STUDY:

The challenge of decarbonising high density developments: Designing a sustainable solution with renewable technologies and natural gas

A look at Ireland’s first high density nearly zero energy building (NZEB) standard apartment block development that consists of combined heat and power (CHP) units in combination with commercial air-to-water electric heat pumps, backed up by natural gas. This presentation explores the benefits of central plant in these types of developments, including other building elements that ensures compliance with Part L 2019 of the building regulations and a focus on how renewable gas and the introduction of hydrogen into the gas network can continue to decarbonise already A2 BER rated homes

2:35

Networking break

2:45

PANEL DISCUSSION:

Who’s to blame for high housing costs? It’s more complicated than you think…

Are government regulations making it increasingly difficult to build new homes, or are developers price gouging homebuyers and renters? It seems the total delivery cost of a new home is not always sufficient to provide a reasonable return; yet, the price is often above what the first-time buyer and new home buyer can afford in many locations. What is driving up the costs of construction and how do we address it?

3:20

Closing remarks and summit close