Election 2024: How the parties differ from each other in housing policy

Much of the pre-election debate will focus on social, cost rental, and affordable housing, but it’s really about how to approach the private housing market

There is now a large degree of consensus across all parties, of left and right, when it comes to housing politics. 

If you’ve been feeling bamboozled by the plethora of housing promises coming from each party ahead of the election, you’re not alone. 

If there is one thing that stands out about the debate about who can deliver more housing, it’s just how technical it is. The recent RTÉ Upfront debate on housing is a case in point: the discussion ranged from whether or not banks would lend mortgages for the purchase of houses when the State retains a leasehold, to whether help to buy, which supports first-time buyers, has an inflationary effect on the price of new-builds.