Political will absent on social housing, says CORI

AN overhaul of social housing policies is urgently needed, CORI (the Conference of Religious of Ireland) has warned.

Its justice commission has advocated the need for a comprehensive, integrated, national housing policy.

With an estimated 200,000 social units needed before 2012, the commission said all that was required in Ireland - one of Europe’s wealthiest countries - was political will.

“The need for such a policy is crystal clear given the challenges currently being faced in the provision of accommodation,” said CORI.

“While its private housing output is one of the highest in the EU, Ireland’s social housing output is one of the lowest.”

According to the justice commission, one-in-four of all new houses are second family or holiday homes.

“Increased social housing provision is essential if Ireland is to have a viable future,” CORI Justice Commission advises today, as it publishes a Policy Briefing on Housing and Accommodation. “The current pace at which this increase is being provided is completely inadequate,” the report says.

The commission said it strongly supports the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) recommendation of an increase of 73,000 social housing units over the eight-year period to 2012.

The NESC study, Housing in Ireland; Performance and Policy, advises that an additional investment of €500 million to €600m was needed annually to meet proposed targets.

The justice commission said provision for the proposed increased expenditure should be made in government’s planning for each of the years ahead.

“This should be seen as a good investment, not as another cost to the Exchequer,” said CORI. “It would go some way towards addressing Ireland’s current infrastructure deficit.

“This increased expenditure could be part-funded by ensuring that people purchasing second homes should have to pay the full infrastructure costs - roads, water, sewage, electricity - much of which is currently borne by society through the Exchequer.”

CORI also acknowledged the major role being played by voluntary, non-profit and co-operative housing associations in providing social housing. To date, the voluntary sector manage over 16,500 homes countrywide.

However, CORI insisted local authorities still had a primary responsibility to ensure all people had access to appropriate accommodation.

“Vulnerable groups are of particular concern in developing housing policy,” said CORI. “Many such groups - people with disabilities, Travellers, homeless, some older people and some rural dwellers - are at a high risk of being in poverty and are doubly disadvantaged by their lack of appropriate accommodation.

Housing policy needs to be integrated with other social and care supports to enable vulnerable people live independent lives. CORI added: “For the first time, Ireland has sufficient resources to ensure that everyone here has appropriate accommodation. All it requires is political will.”