Readers' Blog: State fails to properly address the housing crisis
There are more than 9,500 people homeless in Ireland and that number is rising.
This figure does not take into account the numbers of people with disabilities who are in unsuitable accommodation such as nursing homes, it does not count those housed in domestic violence refuges, and it leaves out almost 600 people who have come through the asylum process and been granted leave to remain in Ireland but who cannot leave direct provision because of the unavailability of affordable housing.
In 2017, there were 31,200 people in receipt of the housing assistant payment (HAP) which represents a significant increase since 2010 with those figures projected to rise significantly.
There are significant problems with HAP for those on the housing list — not least the fact that by accepting a HAP tenancy people must agree to be removed from the housing list, so someone with a long term housing need who accepts a HAP tenancy has relinquished their chance to be permanently housed in a local authority owned property and instead is dependent on a private landlord and their willingness to continue renting the property.
There are considerable difficulties for prospective tenants in finding suitable properties to rent with many landlords reportedly unwilling to enter into a HAP agreement.
HAP also represents a poor investment for the state with taxpayer’s money being transferred into the hands of private landlords.
Recent reports indicate that in some areas the spiralling costs of rents mean it would cost only 50% of projected HAP payments to construct state owned housing for the tenants, which the state would then have as an asset long into the future.
The plight of those experiencing homelessness is well documented over the last few years in the media. The millions being spent on hotels, bed and breakfast and multiple housing charities and NGOs would also be much better used to provide permanent decent housing and support for those who need it.
The State is spending €900m of its annual housing budget on subsidising private landlords and homeless services. As reported by George Lee for RTÉ (July 18) this is projected to increase by €1.7bn by 2022 bringing the likely figures to well over €2bn per annum.
This represents a really poor use of taxpayer’s money and more importantly unless the regulations around renting and tenancy are overhauled it will fail completely to provide secure and safe homes for people who desperately need them.
By failing to adequately address the supply issues the State is committing itself to paying the exorbitant rents demanded by a housing market in crisis.
The State must commit itself to directly building social, affordable and cost rental models of housing. There is enough land in state ownership to build more than 114,000 housing units.
Failure to do so is to commit to failing those experiencing homelessness now and those who will inevitably experience housing insecurity in the years ahead if immediate action is not taken. We have the finances and the land to resolve this, all that is required now is the political will.
