Social housing 'needs €800m investment'

The Government must invest an extra €800m in social housing to cut growing waiting lists and tackle homelessness, a charity demanded today.

Focus Ireland said the 2006 Budget should direct more money to low-income families and help the 5,581 homeless people and 48,000 households on the housing waiting lists in Ireland.

The charity’s chief executive, Declan Jones, urged the Government to act on the National Economic and Social Council’s report, which called for the provision of 73,000 social housing units between 2005 and 2012.

He said an extra €800m on top of the 2005 allocation would ensure the delivery of 10,000 low-cost homes next year, to help provide decent accommodation instead of temporary beds for people at risk of homelessness.

“The Government, social housing providers and local communities must all play their part in increasing the provision of quality social housing if we are to help people to move out of homelessness.

“It would also help tackle the growing housing waiting lists,” he said.

The charity’s pre-budget submission also calls for an increase in funding limits for social housing providers, particularly the housing association movement, which have been frozen since 2002.

In addition, the submission demands investment in the registration of and minimum standards for private rented properties to combat poor-quality homes, and upward revision of the cap on rent supplements.

In next week’s budget, Focus Ireland wants to see an increase in the minimum social welfare rate by €17 to €165.80 per week and a rise in qualified adult allowances by €11 a week.

To tackle child poverty, the Government must deliver the promised raise in child benefit to €155.92 for the first and second child and €192.85 for the third and subsequent children, as well as introducing a new child income support, the charity said.

The submission also called for an increase in the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowances and the expansion of the full medical card to 200,000 low-income families.

Mr Jones said while last year’s budget saw welfare spending increased to €874m – a step in the right direction in tackling poverty – it was not keeping pace with increases in tax reductions.

There was still a long way to go to ensure a more equal allocation of resources between tax cuts and welfare provision, he said.

"It’s vital for the Government to ensure that Budget 2006 delivers for people in the most marginalised sections of our society.

“Ireland needs this year’s budget to actively redistribute resources towards low-income groups,” he said.