Alpha Housing, a Northern Ireland housing association, has agreed a £20 million (€23.8 million) sustainability-linked loan from Danske Bank to accelerate its development programme and deliver 240 new social homes across Northern Ireland over the next five years, increasing its housing stock by approximately 25 per cent.

As reported by the Belfast News Letter, the new homes will include a mix of general needs housing and homes for people over 55, delivered through a range of apartments and bungalows across multiple schemes.

As part of the agreement, Alpha Housing and Danske Bank have set clear Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) targets, linking the cost of funding directly to how the association performs against sustainability measures. These include a commitment to deliver four biodiversity initiatives each year, such as hedge planting and building wildlife ponds, across both new and existing housing schemes. Danske Bank confirmed this is the first time it has included specific biodiversity targets in a social housing funding package.

The loan also supports improvements in energy efficiency, with Alpha Housing aiming to increase energy performance ratings across 50 homes per year, including solar panel installations on a selection of new properties.

Cameron Watt, chief executive at Alpha Housing, said: "We place huge importance on sustainability and biodiversity across our schemes, and this significant sustainability-linked loan from Danske Bank allows us to embed clear biodiversity commitments as we grow. We have ambitious plans to grow our portfolio and this £20m funding facility and Danske Bank's support will go a long way to help us achieve our goal of 240 sustainable new homes in the next five years."

Dominic O'Neill, senior corporate banking manager at Danske Bank, said: "Alpha Housing is showing real leadership by committing to measurable sustainability targets that go beyond energy efficiency alone. By linking finance to ESG outcomes, including biodiversity action, this partnership will help deliver new homes while creating lasting environmental benefits for communities across Northern Ireland."

The agreement positions Alpha Housing as an early adopter of biodiversity-linked financing in Northern Ireland's social housing sector, at a time when housing associations across the UK and Ireland face growing pressure to demonstrate measurable environmental impact alongside housing delivery.

View the full details of Alpha Housing's sustainability-linked financing deal with Danske Bank.