Calls for next government to deliver 60,000 social housing units

Donal McManus, Chief Executive Officer, Irish Council for Social Housing

The incoming government must ring-fence funding to deliver 60,000 social housing units under a new housing stability programme, the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) has said.

The Council, which represents 270 non-profit housing associations, delivered 41% of all social housing units in 2019 and said the sector was ready to work with local authorities to deliver more into the future.

In its 2019 activity report, published on Wednesday, ICSH confirmed that the sector provided 4,127 out a total of 10,007 new social rented homes last year.

ICSH Chief Executive Dr Donal McManus said output in 2019 was the “highest ever number for the sector”.

“In the face of a looming Covid-19 related recession, it is important that social and affordable housing delivery is prioritised in any economic stimulus measures put in place to protect the economy and accelerate the national recovery,” Dr McManus said.

Austerity measures have a lasting and damaging impact on housing delivery. In 2013 we delivered just 211 homes. We cannot repeat this mistake again.

The Housing Alliance also called on the incoming government to establish a rental scheme to provide affordable and secure housing for long-term renters at up to 75% of market rents.

Meanwhile concerns have been raised over the “privatisation” of emergency homeless services in Dublin after it emerged there are now 19 private operators compared to 15 charitable providers.

Independent Cllr Anthony Flynn, who is also CEO of Inner City Helping Homeless, warned that the sector was being ‘sold out’ to private operators, which would result in the “demise” of services.

“Private operators are now outweighing NGOs (Non Government Organisations) and what we’re going to see is the demise of homeless services. We’re going to see people not being afforded the same level of comfort, respect, and wrap-around supports that they require,” Cllr Flynn said.

Dublin City Council last week said it intends to review private and charity run emergency facilities after the Covid-19 crisis. Two housing support officers have been assigned to private emergency units in the meantime.