AHBRA publishes its first Annual Report
The Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) has today (5 October 2023) published its first annual report. The report outlines AHBRA’s activities and achievements during its first 23 months in operation.
The annual report outlines the key work of AHBRA and highlights a number of important achievements during this time including:
- The publication of its first Strategy Statement
- Setting up a registration system for AHBs
- Publishing of Standards for AHBs including supporting guidance
- Development of regulatory and oversight frameworks
- Implementation of an Annual Monitoring Programme
- Creation of a Notifiable Events and Concerns process
- Pilot assessment programme for AHBs
On 1st January 2022 450 AHBs were deemed to be registered with AHBRA. Based on information collected through the first annual monitoring programme, AHBRA oversees an AHB sector who own or manage over 54,000 dwellings and have annual income streams of approximately €1.2bn per year. The AHB sector indicated that it has assets of approximately €7bn, with total liabilities of €5.7bn.
The establishment of AHBRA has been all the more relevant given the role AHBs play in the delivery of housing in Ireland as outlined in the Government’s “Housing for All “plan.
The AHB sector is complex and diversified with a range of different operational, funding, staffing and growth models in place. AHBRA’s approach has been to establish and implement an appropriate and proportionate regulatory framework to address these differing models.
On the publication of the Annual Report the AHBRA CEO, Ms Susanna Lyons, stated “We have made significant progress in establishing the organisation and putting in place the required regulatory structure, but there is more to do. We remain committed to working with all our stakeholders in the delivery of effective regulation.”
You can read the full report here.