Call for Housing labelled an 'abject failure' as just 32 properties sold in a year

The Call for Housing 2020 was launched on July 21, 2020 as a short-term intervention to stimulate interest in social housing delivery and attempt to tackle the housing crisis.

Just 32 properties have been sold in the first year of the government's Call for Housing initiative.

The Call for Housing 2020 was launched on July 21, 2020, as a short-term intervention to stimulate interest in social housing delivery and attempt to tackle the housing crisis.

Some 311 properties were offered for sale to the Housing Agency, including 42 properties also offered for leasing.

A further 138 properties were offered for leasing or for Rental Accommodation Scheme arrangements. Of the properties offered for sale, 45 proceeded to sale, with 32 of these purchases completed to date. A further number of properties submitted to the Housing Agency are being pursued by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies independently.

Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien launched the campaign last summer. It was run on behalf of the Department of Housing by the Housing Agency, in consultation with the local authorities.

At the time of the launch, Mr O'Brien said his "priority is providing sustainable and safe accommodation for those most in need of it."

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The department said the measure was specifically developed as a temporary intervention in the context of addressing urgent Covid-19 related housing needs.

A spokesman for the department said: "The Government will soon produce its Housing for All plan. The plan will set out a pathway to the sustainable supply we need at a price people can afford, with appropriate housing options for the most vulnerable, including social, public housing, cost rental, affordable purchase and private supply. The issue of vacant properties will also be an area of focus in this document.

"The department is working to ensure that existing housing stock is utilised to its fullest extent, including a targeted, effective and coordinated approach to identifying and tackling vacancy across Ireland."

Sinn Féin Housing Spokesman Eoin Ó Broin has called on the government to end the ban on councils buying second-hand homes.

"Like so many housing initiatives from government, the Call for Housing has been an abject failure," Mr Ó Broin said.

"To only deliver a handful of homes in a year shows it hasn’t worked. The criteria for this scheme were too restrictive. The properties have to be vacant and suitable for single persons or larger families. Councils were prohibited from purchasing two- and three-bed properties or homes with social housing applicants in situ when the landlord was selling up. 

"The minister should now end the ban on councils purchasing second-hand homes and introduce a more comprehensive plan to tackle the scandal of 90,000 vacant homes across the state."