Approved housing bodies are expected to provide over 40% of the newly built social housing this year according to the Minister for Housing.
Darragh O'Brien was speaking at the official launch of 32 new homes in St Canice's Hall, Finglas, in an €11 million development provided by Co-Operative Housing Ireland (CHI).
The new apartments are aimed at accommodating a range of needs including older people, those with a medical priority, disability and people who have experienced homelessness.
Tony and Martina Cullen are tenants in St Canice's Hall and had moved back to Dublin after living in Co Roscommon for 15 years while their children grew up.
They were in a flat in the city centre that was poorly heated and expensive to rent.
Mr Cullen said the monthly rent in St Canice's is €100 less that the weekly rent in the private flat.
He also said the new A rated flat in St Canice's is much more comfortable with regulated heat and hot water.
"Its been a complete change of lifestyle," Mrs Cullen said.
CHI was founded in 1973 has provided nearly 7,000 homes through home-ownership, shared ownership and social rented co-operatives.
All residents are members and residents make up 50% of the national governance board.
The St Canice's Hall development was built with loans from the Housing Finance Agency and in co-operation with a number of other state bodies.
Minister O'Brien said that the State will be building new housing as well, but Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) like CHI are an efficient model for accessing private lands for public housing.
"AHBs are expected to provide about 43% of the 9,000 new-build social homes and almost half of the 1,580 Cost Rental homes due to be completed this year," he said.
He said Ireland needs to use "all the weapons in the armoury" to tackle the housing crisis and that this year's target of 24,600 new build private and public homes is set to be exceeded.
