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THE HOUSING SHORTAGE in Ireland could become a “full-blown crisis” if nothing is done about it – and the government needs to address this in Budget 2014.
That’s the view of the national housing charity Threshold, which presents its pre-budget submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform today.
Bob Jordan, Chief Executive of Threshold, said that up to 30,000 new houses need to be constructed annually to meet the ongoing demand for new homes.
But he noted that since the recession, “housing construction has virtually ceased, with only 8,500 new units built last year”.
He added that despite high emigration rates, Ireland’s population is increasing, and families are outgrowing their existing homes.
All of these factors have led to an increase in demand for housing, but the supply is simply not there in high-demand urban areas. As a result, we have families in overcrowded apartments where their children have no room to study or play, and we have grown adults returning to live with their parents because they can’t get a home of their own.
He said that Budget 2014 must deal with the housing shortage that has emerged in large urban areas, adding: “Unless we act now, we will condemn an entire generation to live in unsuitable housing.”
In its pre-budget submission, Threshold is calling on the Government to introduce a stimulus for housing construction that is directly based on current housing needs.
Senator Aideen Hayden, Chairperson of Threshold, said that the recovery of the housing market is essential to lifting Ireland out of recession.
Threshold, St Vincent de Paul and Focus Ireland are among the groups that will appear before the Oireachtas Finance Committee today to speak about poverty in Ireland.
It its pre-budget submission yesterday, Focus Ireland said that the government needs to invest 4400 million to deliver 3,000 homes. It said that it could boost the economy by creating up to 3,200 jobs in construction and supply.
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Is this an article from 2004?
It must be if they are looking for 4400 million for 3000 homes
Why should someone who doesn’t have a job get to choose the location of a State funded house ?
There are estates all over the country , with services supplied and they are empty and there is work to be done on them ?
Would it be the ould votes being kept in the one location I wonder ?
its not just people on welfare who are eligable for ‘social housing’ dermot, low paid workers, students, disabled people all have to rely on social housing, and does it not make sense to allow people a choice of where they want to live ? people might want to move to increase their employment prospects, or to be nearer family, or for health reason,mental and physical. you are correct that there are estates all over the country lying empty and its criminal that this is the case, but denighing somebody a house in a location of their choice should not be the prerogative of those with well paid jobs, after all a lot of those who now rely on welfare used to be in well paid jobs before our political leaders decided to put private bank interests before the interest of the people
The article does not relate to social housing. It refers to a housing shortage in urban areas full stop. There is undoubtedly an issue. Refer to some of David McWilliams recent articles.
no housing shortage with all the ghost estates.
Your right everyone in Dublin should move to the ghost estates of Longford
Where in most cases you are away from any amenities !
this has to be the joke of the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for fck sake all the houses around the country not finished and new ones with nobody in them. thats why the country is the way it is
High-demand urban areas?
The market should sort out those who want to buy a house in those areas.
If you want a free house, we have plenty of them in not-so high-demand urban areas.
There is no housing shortage, 39,000 mortgages are in arrears of two years or more. This includes 10K BTLs. I wish I could not pay my rent for 2 years and get away with it.
The supply is being restricted because the politicians wont make the banks act.
Its a good point. They say social welfare should not be a lifestyle choice. Yet they anticipate the need for 30, 000 subsidised home for people on social welfare and low incomes. Stalin an Marks would be proud. Instead of a system of affordable housing for all, put people in government subsidised housing and keep them there. Can’t have people trying to better themselves. Would upset the comfortable status quo of the few at the top.
Make the banks, hand over most of the unoccupied homes on their loan books and it should cover some of the bailout they got from us!
Stephen
Brilliant comment. The we can introduce a supplementary Budget to raise taxes and reduce Welfare to pay for the “free” houses. Where did you study business and economics Stephen?
Nice one il sell the negative equity dump I live in and get a free house aswell
They should just hand out massive mortgages so people can build loads of houses! Surely that’ll help
Are f**king kidding me, housing shortage – u can’t swing a cat in this place without hitting a ghost estate
Get Tom mc parland out here and roast him with ghost estate figures
There is a housing estate near where I am it has 40 houses- 10 lived in , 30 not finished
Lot of things they have to deal with …join the queue
We might get somewhere if we took houses from the people not paying for them and give them to people who will pay their mortgages.
you heartless so and so. What about the person’s status in society?
there are empty houses all round ireland, it’s not more houses we need its less burocracy in getting one allocated, there is a ton of red tape and forms to be filled in to get on the councils housing list to start with, plus the policy of not being able to move to a different area unless you meet the councils ‘criteria’, which seems to be a question of “why do you want to move to this area? do you have any connections with this area” also the non availability of people who are on the R.A.S scheme to be able to move from one area to another is a further restricion, there are plenty of empty houses in nama and the ghost estates, why doesnt the government instruct the banks to hand over these properties(as part payment for the money WE gave them to bail them out) then give these properties to either social housing groups such as cluin or local authorities, this would also put people back in work as most of these ghost estates would need to be brought up to habitable standards.
there is also the up side that when you get a house you need other consumer goods, white goods, furniture etc, thus creating a demand for these items and increasing the need for jobs in the retail sector, opening up housing estates would also require other infrastructure like schools, shops, doctors, roads, greenspaces, petrol stations, but wait all of this is common scense, somthing our political classes lack by the bucket load, so it will forever be a dream.
There is no shortage of houses in Ireland there is however a shortage of imagination . The country is littered with estates , developments and one off houses lying empty. People on housing lists need housing now and not years down the line. These empty houses should be handed over to local authority or housing associations to manage and distribute as necessary elevating pressure on housing lists and the people on them. The employment that construction of new homes would bring would however be very welcome and much needed.
I just hope that new housing projects are public transport orientated, like rail. There are too many fields surrounding rail stations in Kildare especially.
I agree that there is a need for more social housing, and again agree that people with disabilities and who are unfit for work etc should be given housing, however as many others have pointed out with the amount of ghost estates around the country, why not bring these people out of the heavily populated areas and give them a better quality of life in the country.
Then invest the 4400 million focus Ireland have suggested as the figure needed for social housing, on getting the unemployed trained in the skills required to complete the remaining work required on bringing these ghost estates up to standard, and also on developing services for these new communities.
Just building more property when there is so much lying waste around the country is crazy!
I would love to know what percentage of the social housing list is made up of non nationals. I believe a reduction in those numbers would alleviate much of the housing shortage. They should be encouraged to return to their native lands and not adding to Irelands problems.
Red thumb be if you will… but it has to be said.
The wrong houses of the wrong type in the wrong location contrary to all principles of spatial planning and environmental sensitivity in unsustainable locations with insufficient densities to support adequate services.
That covers the basis shortcomings.
The other shortcomings are defective design, inadequate materials, energy inefficiency, woefully bad construction standards, riddled with building defects, cheap materials and maintenance intensive.
This is not to mention prevalent breaches of the Building Regulations, including serious breaches of fire standards, minimal insulation, bad windows and leaking roofs.
What housing demands ??
What about all the ghost estates and half finished developments in the country? Was it not the housing boom that got us into the mess where in? Not one should be built till all the empties are filled are torn down.
To be fair I don’t think anyone is saying no to the ghost estates being made available to those in need of social housing – but at the moment they aren’t being made available (it seems to transfer a property owned by a developer and charged to a bank cant just happen over night). plus many are so badly built they never can be provided (pyrite, fire safety issues etc). In that case calling for more housing is reasonable and more achievable than the pack all the vulnerable ppl up and put them in unsafe houses argument.
have your say