Ireland's leading housing charity has welcomed the announcement by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and NAMA that 2,000 housing units will be made available in 2012 for social housing purposes.

Respond! Housing Association believes it is a step in the right direction and highlights the potential role NAMA can play in helping to resolve the country's housing crisis. The housing charity hopes that stronger relations between NAMA and the social housing sector can be formed in 2012 in order to transform some of the 2,800 unfinished developments nationwide into vibrant, integrated communities.

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According to Respond! Spokesperson Aoife Walsh it is important that NAMA delivers upon the social dividend that was promised during its formation in 2009.

"With almost 100,000 families on Local Authority housing waiting lists nationwide, all stakeholders must work together to try and come up with practicable solutions. NAMA has a massive role to play and Respond! is encouraged by today’s announcement that 2,000 units will be put aside in 2012. Respond! believes NAMA should interact closely with the social housing sector in 2012 by assigning dedicated personnel to work with housing associations. This would speed up the acquisition and purchasing process and make even units available for families in need at a much faster pace.The provision of new social housing units has almost ground to a halt in the past 2 years due to lack of funding but we hope that today’s announcement is an indication of better things to come in 2012."

(CD/GK)