Reacting to the Government’s new affordable housing plan, Social Democrats spokesperson for Housing, Cian O’Callaghan TD, said:
“Relying on the private sector for the provision of affordable housing is a broken model. The Shared Equity Scheme is more of the same old, failed, developer-led policymaking. We need a change of direction.
“The private sector alone cannot deliver housing that is genuinely affordable. New homes provided by private developers are sold at about twice the build cost. Under the Government’s latest plans, the State will pay 30% of these inflated costs, which the first-time buyers will end up repaying in years to come.
“If we want homes that are truly affordable, the State must directly build them and sell or rent them at cost.
“Only 18,000 homes were built this year – we need about twice that number. This will only happen if the State plays a direct, proactive role in the delivery of affordable homes.”
December 18, 2020