NAMA should be used to build social housing, not private homes: Focus Ireland

Update 5.30pm: Environment Minister Alan Kelly has said there is no quick fix to getting more social housing built.

"You can’t deliver social housing overnight. There's a lag time of two years," he said, saying planning and procurement all had to happen before homes were built and ready to occupy.

He said there were 200 sites identified for social housing, and all 200 would deliver over time.

Meanwhile, housing agency Threshold said it was still getting up to 50 calls a day from tenants complaining they could not afford rent increases, despite a rent freeze announced by the Government.

Last week, the Government announced a range of measures to stop soaring rents, including a two-year freeze on any hikes and the need for longer notice of any increase.

Earlier:

Focus Ireland is calling for more social housing to be delivered through NAMA to ease the homeless crisis, as a major summit on the issue gets underway in Dublin.

Most of the main homeless agencies are attending a meeting in the Customs House hosted by the Environment Minister Alan Kelly.

Director of advocacy at Focus Ireland Mike Allen has welcomed some shortterm measures, including 200 extra emergency beds being delivered in Dublin for Christmas.

But he wants to know why NAMA is building 20,000 homes, of which 90% will be privately sold.

"The Minister has said he is absolutely committed to delivering more social housing, but he also made it clear that local housing authorities are not in a position to build those units. NAMA is able to build those units," he said.

"Instead of being used to deliver social housing, (NAMA) is being used to deliver private housing to be sold to owner-occupiers. The private sector needs to deliver for owner-occupiers. The State sector, which includes NAMA, should be used to deliver the social housing that we desperately need for the families currently facing homelessness."