Our 2018 Social Policy Conference, From Here to Where?, brought together a diverse range of voices to discuss what should shape the Programme for Government of the 33rd Dáil.
Social Justice Ireland publishes a proposed Programme for Government as part of their 31st Annual Policy Conference in Croke Park.
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.
This section of our National Social Monitor Autumn 2018 provides a brief insight into the housing and homelessess crisis in Ireland, reviewing the construction data, mortgage arrears statistics and
With 10,000 people - including 3,600 children - homeless, 72,000 mortgages in arrears, and 86,000 households on social housing waiting lists, it can hardly be denied that Government policy is a dramatic failure.
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.
The economy is growing, unemployment is low - so why are Ireland's crises deepening?
Last week (27th July 2018), the Government launched its Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy 2018-2021, aimed at bringing existing vacant properties back into use. According to the CSO, there are over 183,000 vacant properties, excluding holiday homes, across the State. Many of these could be brought under the control of the local authority or Approved Housing Bodies and used to provide social homes. However, while Social Justice Ireland supports the intention of the Strategy, we note that it does not propose to actually bring these homes back into use until next year or the year after.
Ireland now has the resources to ensure that inequality can be tackled effectively and the linked social injustices of poverty, waiting lists and homelessness can be addressed. Priority should be given to reducing poverty, tackling the social housing crisis and reforming the healthcare system in both urban and rural Ireland. Following on from our annual Sustainable Progress Index, Social Justice Ireland has published a 4-page brief on Ireland’s inability to get to grips with inequality.
