Kerry County Council has officially published an invitation to developers and builders to express interest in building affordable housing in this county.
Kerry councillors have been critical of the slow rollout of the government’s affordable housing scheme in this county.
This initial call for expressions of interest will be limited to the urban areas of Tralee and Killarney.
Kerry County Council says this initial call is being launched as a pilot scheme and will inform future similar calls to developers.
Home builders and housing developers are being asked to consider offering properties with planning permission to Kerry County Council under an advance purchase turnkey arrangement.
Each scheme proposed would deliver between five and 20 housing units.
The council says where proposals from builders and developers are received and considered acceptable, the council will make an application for funding to help meet the cost of delivery of the housing, via an equity share in the properties.
There is a limit of between €50,000 and €75,000 per unit for the amount which the council can subsidise in Tralee and Killarney.
The council will release that subsidy to developers on the completion of the sale of the properties being built.
Developers must include evidence of ownership of the site on which they’re building, as well as their planning reference number, Irish Water reference number, and estimated completion dates.
Properties being sold under affordable housing schemes must be offered 15% cheaper than comparable new-builds on the market in the area, with the subsidy included.
The council says preference will be given to proposals that can be delivered on or before September 2027.
The closing date for expressions of interest under this call is Friday 13th February 2026 at 4pm.
