Housing

The most recent Daft.ie Report shows that, while the rate of rent inflation may now be slowing, rents are still higher than they were before the Recession, with the average national rent reaching €1,347 per month.  Rebuilding Ireland, the Government's main housing policy document, relies heavily on the private rented sector as a sort of 'societal cure all', however this reliance (supported through subsidies and tax reliefs) is only serving to drive up rents until they are beyond the reach of many households.  Add to that the Minister's latest directive, that families who turn down more two social housing options will be suspended from the housing list for five years, and we clearly have a Government out of touch with the reality of low income households.

A study published in the Journal of Epidemiol & Community Health has found that ‘housing tenure, cost burden and desire to stay in own home’ are all associated with higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker associated with infection and stress.  With the number of households in private rented accommodation continuing to rise in Ireland, what does this mean for future generations and what policy responses are needed?

700,000 on healthcare waiting lists, 500,000 homes without broadband, over 11,000 people homeless – a result of Government policy failing to tackle causes - Social Justice Ireland publishes National Social Monitor Winter 2018.

On Thursday, 4th October 2018, the Dáil passed a motion to declare housing and homelessness a national emergency.  The motion, following a demonstration by over 10,000 people and brought by Solidarity – People before Profit, called on Government to declare this emergency and to do something to increase the supply of affordable, sustainable homes.

On Wednesday (26th September 2018), the Housing Agency published its now annual Summary of Housing Assessments for 2018. Figures gathered in June of this year show that 71,858 households were assessed as being in need of social housing, compared to 85,799 in 2017. However, while the apparent reduction of 13,941 has been heralded by Minister for State Damien English as “a positive sign of the success of the Rebuilding Ireland Actions Plan so far”, the truth is that the housing crisis is worsening as Government continues to look to the private sector for solutions.

The Government has failed to respond adequately to our nation’s housing crisis. There are almost 87,000 households on social housing waiting lists - over half of whom are families - and 10,000 homeless, of whom 3,600 are children. This is a national emergency. The impact of homelessness and precarious housing on our nation’s children will be felt for generations to come.