Permitted uses of commuted sums for affordable housing

• Supporting the purchase of land for the purpose of providing affordable housing (monies may assist with cash flow issues or enable more attractive finance loans to be achieved by an RHA, for example); • Supporting the provision of specialist forms of social housing accommodation, which is subject to a separate allocations process; • Purchasing and refurbishing empty properties by a RHA, to be managed as affordable housing (thereby helping to bring vacant properties back into active use); • Bringing existing dwellings to an acceptable fitness standard, helping to improve overall affordable housing stock; • Sub-dividing larger houses or converting commercial properties to provide additional affordable housing, where feasible and subject to other planning and site suitability considerations; or • Any other appropriate measures that may be identified, in consultation with NIHE/DfC, to help increase the supply of affordable housing.