Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) (also called housing associations or voluntary housing associations) are independent, not-for-profit organisations. They provide affordable rented housing for people who cannot afford to pay private sector rents or buy their own homes; or for particular groups, such as older people or homeless people.
AHBs also include housing co-operatives, which are housing organisations controlled by their members/tenants who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions.
Section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992 enables housing authorities, among other things, to provide assistance to AHBs for the provision of housing. Assistance is provide through CAS (Capital Assistance Scheme) and CALF (Capital Advance Leasing Facility).
Since 1 January 2022, the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (also known as ‘AHBRA’) has had responsibility for establishing and maintaining the register of AHBs and for registering organisations as AHBs.