Instead of kowtowing to developers and investment funds, the government needs a radical reset of housing policy
The Housing Minister is continuing to cook the books when it comes to this government’s record on the delivery of affordable homes, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne.
“The Housing Minister is continuing to try to cook the books, when it comes to affordable home delivery, in a desperate attempt to flatter his record.
“Included in Q1 figures released today are grants to refurbish vacant homes and approvals under the First Home scheme – which involve the sale of market price homes – that have not even been drawn down yet.
“Incredibly, the government is now presenting figures in which nearly 50 percent of its affordable-purchase home delivery are actually grants that have been allocated after people have already bought homes.
“Damningly, the figures also reveal that the number of purchases under the tenant in situ scheme have collapsed, from 34 in Q1 2024 to just 15 in Q1 this year. This was the only scheme that was keeping individuals and families out of homelessness and its effective wind down by the government is shameful.
“These figures also highlight the continued failure of government to finance and give capacity to local authorities to ramp up the delivery of affordable homes. In the first three months of this year, just 10 cost-rental homes were delivered by local authorities – and just 113 in total.
“This government’s record on housing continues to be one of abject failure. No attempts to massage figures, or cook the books, can hide that. Rather than admitting that his housing plan is a disaster, the Minister has doubled down on failure and is now resorting to ripping up apartment standards, and rent regulation, in order to boost delivery. This won’t work either.
“Instead of kowtowing to developers and investment funds, the government needs a radical reset of housing policy. For a start, it should adopt and implement the Social Democrats’ ‘Home for Ireland Saving Account’ to raise private capital to invest in social and affordable housing.”