The Government have announced details of a €150 million fund to address long-term vacancy and dereliction in towns and cities across the State.
The funding was announced on Tuesday as part of the quarterly Housing for All progress update.
The money will be available to local authorities for towns and cities eligible for the Urban Regeneration Development Fund.
Local authorities, when applying for the funding, have indicated that they could identify projects generating 4,850 residential units, and will receive a grant for the entire 100 per cent cost of acquiring suitable properties.
The Housing for All update showed building has started on 12,987 homes since January, an increase of seven per cent compared to this time last year.
There were also 6,716 new homes completed in the first three months of 2023, an increase of almost 20 per cent on the same period in 2023.
Approximately 11,659 new homes were granted planning permission in the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 37.8 per cent.
"At the half-way point of the year, building has started on almost 13,000 homes, and we have strong momentum heading into the rest of the year," Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said.
"We are confident we will meet or exceed our house targets for the next year of 29,000 homes, student accommodation and refurbishments.
"Planning permissions granted in quarter one were 40 per cent higher than the same period last year, and more people are buying their first home than in any period in well over a decade. Over 700 first-time buyers are being approved for mortgages every week.
"We are building more social housing than any year since 1975. In the second quarter of the year, we have approved €100 million in funding to build over 800 social and affordable homes at Oscar Traynor Road, Dublin, secured planning permission for over 2,500 homes to be built by the LDA on State Lands, and allocated €60 million in funding for over 1,000 student apartments.
"Today we are announcing a €150 million fund to breathe new life into our towns and cities. This initiative builds on the actions we have already. Focusing on dereliction and vacancy makes sense. It has a unique ability to rejuvenate communities in our villages, towns and cities."
