Cork City Council Celebrates Milestone in Affordable Housing Delivery: 300th Purchaser Receives Keys in time for Christmas
19/12/2025
Cork City Council has handed over the keys to its 300th affordable home - just in time for Christmas.
The house, developed under the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme (LAAPS), is in Glenmore Heights in Lehenaghmore, Togher – a new development of energy efficient A-rated three-bed semi-detached, three-bed mid-terrace, two-bed end-of-terrace and mid-terrace homes.
The estate was built in a partnership between Cork City Council and OBR Group.
Homes built under the LAAPS are offered for sale to qualifying first-time buyers from approximately 20% below the open market value, with the local authority taking an equity stake in the property.
Cork City Council was a pioneer nationally in delivering affordable homes under the LAAPS, building the first scheme of its kind in the country at Boherboy Road in Lotamore, Mayfield.
The City Council has gone on to deliver hundreds of new affordable homes in 10 LAAPS developments, including at Glenmore Heights, Lehenaghmore in Togher, Danesfort in Whites Cross, Newton Heights in Mayfield, Seaberry in Grange, Heathfield in Ballincollig and Carraig Dún in Killeens.
Under the Government’s ‘Housing For All’ plan, the City Council had a target of delivering 378 affordable homes by 2026.
That target has already been exceeded, with 402 affordable homes either sold or nearing completion, with sales completed on 300, and sales about to complete on dozens more.
A further 10 purchasers are due to receive their keys before the end the year, with another 60 purchasers due to move into their new affordable homes by March 2026.
More LAAPS homes are planned in 2026 and 2027, including a 155 unit social housing scheme in Lehenaghmore, where 88 will be sold under the LAAPS, as well as 48 at Glenbride on the Old Mallow Road, with more schemes to be announced.
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy, said the handing over of the keys to the 300th LAAPS home highlights the city council’s commitment to supporting eligible first-time and Fresh Start buyers.
“Each set of keys allows a family to put down roots, to gain security, stability, and the opportunity to thrive in a place they can truly call home,” the Lord Mayor said.
“This milestone reflects the hard work, collaboration, and vision that have driven our housing delivery mission forward.
“But there is still work to do and we remain focused on housing delivery, to ensure that affordable housing is not just a goal, but a reality for generations to come.”
Brian Geaney, the Assistant Chief Executive of Cork City Council, also welcomed the housing milestone.
"Reaching the milestone of 300 purchasers of an affordable home is a proud moment for Cork City Council and it reflects our commitment to delivering affordable housing solutions that make a real difference in people’s lives,” Mr. Geaney said.
“We were early movers in the affordable housing space, delivering the first affordable housing estate in the country at Boherboy Road in Mayfield.
“Exceeding our Housing for All 2026 target, which we always regarded as a minimum number, shows the strength of our housing programme and the dedication of our teams. We will continue to work diligently to expand affordable housing opportunities, ensuring that more families and individuals can benefit from the scheme.
But most importantly, the work we are doing means more families and individuals can now call Cork City home, building secure futures in our city.”
Under the terms of the LAAPS, Cork City Council provides access to affordable homes by offering eligible applicants the chance to purchase a newly-built home at a price lower than its open market value.
In return, the city council retains a percentage ‘equity share’ in the home equal to the difference between the open market value of the home and the reduced price paid by the purchaser.
For example, if you buy a home at a 20% reduction, Cork City Council takes a 20% equity share in your home. Homeowners can choose to repay some, or all, of the equity share at any time following their acquisition of the property.
Meanwhile, Cork City Council is launching Phase 2 of the popular Glenbride scheme on December 19 and will take applications for this scheme from January 27 next.
The second phase of this scheme consists of 23 affordable homes, offering a selection of two and three-bedroom properties.
Glenbride is the second affordable housing scheme developed by Cork City Council in partnership with Murnane and O’Shea Ltd, following their highly sought-after scheme of 70 homes in Heathfield, Ballincollig.
Income limits apply, and potential applicants are advised to familiarise themselves with the qualification criteria and required documentation, details of which are available at www.glenbride.ie.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the documentation requirements in advance, as demand is expected to exceed the number of available homes.
For further information, please contact: affordablehousing@corkcity.ie