Housing

The General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020 continues to be debated by Government. Here we look at the provisions around shared equity and what they'll really mean for home buyers.

The latest Locked Out of the Market Report from the Simon Communities of Ireland shows that, contrary to expectation and an increase in supply, the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions did not lead to a significant increase in affordability in the private rental market in 2020.

The Central Bank issued its quarterly Residential Mortgage Arrears & Repossession Statistics report for Q3 2020. An analysis of this data indicates that, without tailored interventions, there are difficult times ahead for many households.

Eurostat data suggests that almost seven in ten people in Ireland are over-accommodated, that is, living in housing that is too large for their needs, while just 3.5 per cent of the population are living in overcrowded accommodation. This is ostensibly good news, however a closer analysis of the data shows the inequalities inherent in Ireland's housing system.

The Planning and Development, and Residential Tenancies, Act 2020 extended the moratorium on tenant evictions in certain circumstances, however the provisions disapplying this protection on the basis of arrears goes too far beyond what was intended and may result in unforeseen evictions.

The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) has just released an analysis of some of the key metrics of the Vacant Site Levy for the third quarter of 2020.

On Wednesday, 20th January 2021, the Minister’s office published the General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020. Here we consider the cost rental provision of this draft legislation and whether or not it fits the bill.

A publication on Social Housing in Ireland 2019 – Analysis of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme released by the CSO in November 2020 indicates that some 57,630 households in need of social housing were accommodated in the private rented sector by the end of 2019. Social Justice Ireland has long-argued that this is not a sustainable housing model for low income households, given the recent volatility in the private rented sector, and continues to call on Government to increase the stock of social housing to 20 per cent of total housing stock by the year 2030.

The National Economic & Social Council’s recently published report on Housing Policy: Actions to Deliver Change once again calls for action on affordability and improved land management.