The\u00a0Social Democrats today publish a Bill to free up more vacant land for housing.<\/p>\n
Publishing the Bill today, Social Democrats co-leader<\/strong> Catherine Murphy TD<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n \u201cThe housing crisis is not caused by a shortage of land to develop. It\u2019s down to the fact that we are not building on the land that we have. Urban areas have hundreds of empty sites lying neglected and overgrown. With 7,500 people living in emergency accommodation, we have to free up every possible site for development.<\/p>\n The Urban Regeneration and Housing (Amendment) Bill 2017 addresses significant anomalies in current legislation and encourages the development of vacant sites in urban areas.<\/p>\n Deputy Murphy added: \u201cThis Bill plugs loopholes in the existing law and introduces fresh incentives to make sure that landowners and developers make more land available for housing and other developments. And more supply means that the cost of land will come down.\u201d<\/p>\n Social Democrats Dublin city councillor Gary Gannon<\/strong> said: “The spread of vacant sites across the city are both an eyesore and a health risk. They become dumping grounds, attract vermin, and can be sites of anti-social behaviour.<\/p>\n \u201cA total of 174 vacant sites have been identified in Dublin city that are less than 500 sq metres. A site this size could accommodate a dozen apartments. By encouraging the building of shops, houses and apartments on small infill sites, this Bill boosts the regeneration of Dublin as well as towns and cities across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n The Social Democrats Bill promotes vacant site usage by:<\/p>\n