Lengthy waiting lists for housing criticised

SOCIAL housing groups have lambasted the current and previous governments after it emerged an “unprecedented” 98,318 households are on waiting lists for homes across the country.

Data revealed yesterday shows the number of people waiting for homes to become available has risen 75% since the last survey in 2008, and by 500% in the past 20 years.

Government statistics show 43,000 of the near-100,000 households on the waiting lists are families with children, meaning as many as 71,000 children do not to have a place to call home.

A further 2,200 elderly people and 1,300 vulnerable people with disabilities who rely on the state to provide them with housing are also being forced to wait.

And, in a clear sign of the link between unemployment and social housing waiting lists, 78% of those in need of housing have annual incomes below €15,000.

“The huge increase in the number of households in housing need since the last assessment in 2008 is unprecedented and gives a clear idea of the scale of the challenge ahead,” said Donal McManus, executive director of the Irish Council for Social Housing, the umbrella group which represents more than 300 housing associations nationwide.

“This crisis has been growing in the background. The housing needs assessment is only undertaken every three years,” he said.

“It is clear there is an urgent need for more up-to-date annual assessments to enable the voluntary housing sector and local authorities to respond strategically,” said Mr McManus.

Among the worst affected areas in Ireland are Cork city (waiting list rise of 172% since 2008) and Fingal in Dublin (159% rise).

Difficulties in other regions such as Meath (124% rise), Galway city (101% rise), Cork county (95% rise), Carlow (90% rise), South Dublin (88% rise) and Kerry (79% rise) are also apparent.

Respond, Ireland’s leading housing charity, said “the dramatic increase in housing need is a result of ad hoc housing policies adopted by previous governments over the past decades”.

According to the housing charity’s spokesperson, Aoife Walsh, the number of households on waiting lists has risen at an alarming rate since 1991, despite a booming economy and property market during the Celtic Tiger years.

“Despite many years of prosperity, the lack of a consistent housing policy led to an over-inflated property and an under-developed social housing sector.”

* Contact: threshold.ie, icsh.ie or respond.ie