Social housing policy a failure, says Sr Stan

THE Government’s failure to make developers deliver on affordable housing will lead to massive social problems, an influential charity warned yesterday.

Long-time housing campaigner Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, launching a hard-hitting attack on the Government's policies on housing and homeless, described the social housing provision as a good idea but a failure, so far, in practice.

There has been a total lack of movement on the building of social and affordable housing outlined in a 2000 planning act, according to Focus Ireland.

"Developers are slow to discuss social housing with local authorities, but I don't think the Government has put any pressure on them," she said.

The planning act allowed for up to 20% of homes in private developments to be set aside for social and affordable housing as local authorities and developers worked in partnership. In Dublin, 2000 units are in the planning stage, but not a single one has actually been built. A life president of Focus, Sr Stanislaus called for an overhaul of the entire housing system, claiming the lack of action on a number of interlocking issues emergency accommodation, affordable homes and spiralling private rents will lead to "huge social problems." "We are introducing as an institution homeless families and that has never existed before," said Sr Stanislaus.

She added: "We need policymakers who recognise the right to a home as a basic human right."

A developers' group rejected claims of a reluctance among its members to find a solution to the housing shortage. Noel O'Connor, from the Irish Home Builders' Association, criticised what he claimed was the legislation's lack of flexibility.

He cited examples such as a builder investing in a wholly private development on one site where there may be no demand while agreeing to a social scheme on adjacent land where there is a need.

Mr O'Connor also argued that local authorities should make available parts of their land banks in order to come to an agreement with developers.

Despite the problems, Dublin Corporation claims to be making some progress in agreeing sites for mixed private, social or affordable housing.

A council official said planning permission had been lodged for the building of 2,000 units, half affordable houses and half to deal with the 10,000-strong waiting list.

The corporation, according to the official, is sticking rigidly to the principle that 20% of the houses built by developers must be social or affordable. This is despite the planning legislation stating that it can build up to 20%.