Local councils need to take back control of building houses

If the housing crisis is to be ameliorated, policymakers must restore local councils as central players in housing provision, as they did so effectively in the past. They understand their communities' needs better than detached officials in Government departments

Danny Murnane, of Cetti Building Contractors; Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Dan Boyle; Valerie O'Sullivan, chief executive of Cork City Council; and Alison O'Rourke, director of housing at Cork City Council, turning the sod at Farranlea Road, Cork, last month, where 12 new homes are to be built. Picture: Michael O'Sullivan / OSM

I’ve been writing about the housing crisis for nearly three years, and one theme has remained constant: a generational divide between those who own homes and those locked out of the market, including yours truly. But recent developments suggest the Government now aims to align both groups in shared sacrifice.

The Sunday Independent recently reported planning rules would be relaxed to encourage older people to “rightsize” into smaller homes. The goal is to free up under-occupied housing stock by having older generations downsize, thus making room for younger families.