2014-04-22 - Socio Economic Review 2014 - Full text and cover - FINAL

The development of a national housing strategy is long overdue. A national housing
strategy should seek to address the myriad of problems relating to housing in
Ireland, across the spectrum from private rented accommodation through to social
housing provision. The development of a national housing strategy would ensure
overall policy coherence in a complex system. This policy should take cognisance
of projections of need based on accurate regional and demographic analysis,
allowing for the identification of appropriate provision both in the private and
social housing spheres. Finally it must be noted that a prerequisite for the efficacy
of any housing policy is suitable policies for planning, transport and infrastructure,
ensuring sustainable development into the future. Fundamentally there is a need
for a considered approach to addressing the complex range of concerns relating to
housing and accommodation; if not there will be limited progress made in resolving
housing issues. Policy to date has failed to balance the advancement of home
ownership, the development of a stable rental sector, both public and private, and
the use of property for private determination. This balance still needs to be achieved.
policy priorities on Housing and Accommodation in Ireland
• Develop an Integrated Housing Strategy for Ireland
• Take the required action to ensure the supply of social housing, including co-op
and voluntary/non-profit housing, is on the scale required to eliminate local
authority housing waiting lists.
• Explore the potential for a National Housing Agency, answerable to the Minister
for Environment, which would assume charge of the current stock of local
authority houses and a range of other issues related to social housing. Such a
body could have responsibility for the delivery of social housing and could also
take on the role of providing finance to voluntary and cooperative housing
agencies as well as assisting in addressing the issue of mortgage arrears.
• Ensure continued investment in developing social housing in order to maintain
an adequate stock of social housing units including bringing back into use any
vacant social housing units.
• Ensure prompt delivery and adequate resources to support Long Term Leasing
initiatives and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).
• Ensure that adequate resources are made available for the national roll out of the
Housing Assistance Payment.
• Make adequate funding available to resolve effectively, ongoing issues regarding
unfinished housing estates so that suitable units can be brought into beneficial
use. Social Justice Ireland considers it imperative that the Government continue
to assist and advise local authorities/AHBs on how best to transfer these units to
social use.
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