Housing Executive completes first new homes for 25 years

The state-of-the art energy efficient homes will also mean lower energy bills for tenants.

Housing Executive chief executive Grainne Long said it was a “really important moment” for social and public housing.

“It shows what the homes of the future can and should be,” she said.

“A PassivHaus is an ultra-low energy home, you’ve got an air source heat pump, a ventilation system and an internal skin wrapped round the property, so that means these are the warmest homes but also really well-ventilated homes.

“That means healthier households, it means really low cost energy bills of about £4.50 a week.”

She said it would get people off the waiting list, which has about about 47,000 people on it.

“The Housing Executive used to build between 5,000 and 9,000 homes a year – we haven’t done that in a generation,” she said.

“We need to get back now to where we are adding to supply, alongside housing associations and I think there is political consensus around that.”