Longford County Council Secures Housing Infrastructure Funding

Longford County Council has secured a new tranche of funding from the Department of Transport to deliver strategic infrastructure in Longford town. The money is earmarked for projects that will unlock zoned land and enable the construction of roughly 1,000 new homes across the county’s main settlement.

The council’s bid came after earlier criticism that the local authority had not secured enough capital to meet its housing targets. In a statement released by the council, officials said the funding represents a significant step forward in their application for the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF), a national programme designed to accelerate house‑building by providing essential enabling works.

Under the new arrangement, the council will focus on infrastructure that can be delivered quickly and will directly support housing development. While the exact nature of the works has not been detailed, the funding is intended to activate previously held land parcels in Longford town for residential use.

The council also issued a response to the criticism it had faced over its housing strategy. No further details were provided beyond the acknowledgement that the new funding would help address the concerns raised by residents and local stakeholders.

Longford’s earlier experience with the national HIIF has been mixed. The county was one of only a few that missed out on the initial €1 billion fund announced by the cabinet, as reported in an Irish Independent article titled “‘It’s beyond embarrassing’ – Longford only county in the country to miss out on €1bn housing infrastructure fund.” Despite that setback, the council has now secured transport‑sector funding that will help it move forward with its housing plans.

For more information, see the Shannonside report on Longford County Council securing transport funding for housing infrastructure.

Summary written by localnews.ie from the original source coverage. Click through for the full report.