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HERE’S SOMETHING YOU already know – Ireland is in the midst of a housing crisis.
The most recent and reliable figures for the number of people on housing waiting lists in Ireland are from 2013. As of 7 May 2013, there were 89,872 households on the social housing waiting list.
In April 2016, there were 3,969 homeless adults in Ireland. Of these 2,806 (69%) were in Dublin.
With all the soundbites from the Housing Minister Simon Coveney about emergency action, one would think this problem sprung up overnight.
But it didn’t.
This crisis has been building up, under the radar for years.
Recent figures from the Department of the Environment show that local authorities built just 75 social housing units during the whole of 2015 – the lowest on the official record, which dates back to 1970.
On most current affairs programmes in the last year or so, politicians have been wheeled out to explain to the public what they plan to do to get people off the streets and get families in houses, rather than hotels.
When the blame game crops up, Fine Gael points to Fianna Fáil and vice versa – while others look at how local authorities managed housing needs over those boom years.
Eventually – after 70 days without a government in which the situation was exacerbated – parties acquiesced to Sinn Féin’s proposal to set up an Oireachtas committee dedicated to finding a solution.
Yesterday, the Housing and Homeless Committee published its first set of recommendations.
To solve the growing crisis, it said the government needs to build at least 10,000 homes per year, give more security to those renting, help first-time buyers with their deposits, and allow local authorities buy homes from investors.
So, how did we get here? How are 100,000 people in this country on social housing waiting lists?
First of all, let’s look at what local authorities have been doing.
They are tasked with building social housing for those living within their jurisdictions. Since 2008, the annual number of units delivered by local councils has dropped dramatically.
In 1975, local authorities built 8,794 social housing units, the highest on record. This gradually fell back, with voluntary and co-operative organisations stepping in to make up the shortfall. And, of course, there were the private developers.
In 2007, the last official year of the so-called Celtic Tiger, the local authorities built 4,986 homes. This number fell to 4,905 in 2008.
Then there was a devastating drop to 3,362 in 2011 and another decrease of 2,000 units to 1,328 in 2010.
At the time, there was little being said about the lack of building. There was more talk about the number of houses lying vacant around the country.
In March 2010, University College Dublin (UCD) and Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) found a total of 345,000 homes (17% of all housing) was lying empty.
And still things worsened.
There were just 486 units built in 2011, 363 houses in 2012, 293 in 2013, 158 in 2014, and just 75 last year.
We hit rock bottom.
To get a snapshot of what was happening throughout these latter years, when new social housing virtually disappeared, TheJournal.ie’s political reporter Christina Finn has examined one local council’s work.
“Having worked for local newspapers for a number of years during the recession, I attended monthly council meetings in Wicklow, Bray, Arklow and Kildare.
“One of the main topics up for discussion week in, week out, was housing.
“Councillors constantly complained that the Department of the Environment was giving no funding for housing construction with an effective moratorium on building in place across the country.
“Here’s a sample of my reports dating from 2012 to 2013 – the years that Ireland saw little or no social houses built by local authorities.
“Just to remind you – these decisions were taken by the last government made up of Fine Gael and Labour.
“Phil Hogan was the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and Labour’s Jan O’Sullivan was the Minister of State for Housing and Planning.”
***
In September 2012, Fianna Fáil Councillor for Wicklow County Council and Bray Town Council Pat Vance said:
I am hearing that people on the housing list are being told they will have to wait up eight to 10 years to get a house. It is an emergency situation and the worst I have ever seen since I sat on this council.
He said there had been a “huge upsurge” in people seeking houses. He told the council that rent supplement cuts meant people were no longer able to pay their rents.
Vance asked why the department would not allow the council to buy or even build on some of the sites it owned.
“We could get great value if we could buy now,” he said. The councillor said it was vital the council met with Minister Jan O’Sullivan.
With more than 1,200 people on the housing list in Bray, a statement from the department on the issue said:
The current financial constraints have led to a significant reduction in the capital budget for housing.
To respond to this reality and to ensure that social housing need is met the Government has radically reformed housing policy, with a shift in focus towards leasing options, and greater involvement by the voluntary and community sector.
Bray, along with every other housing authority, is provided with substantial central exchequer funding in this regard.
Fast forward to 2013, and the problem had only gotten worse.
The council is told that despite requests for the minister to meet with the council, their invitation has been turned down.
Councillor Vance said it was the first time since he being elected that a minister refused to meet members.
I’ll keep on saying it, time and time again, something needs to be done.
The town clerk informed members that the council had submitted project appraisals for the construction of affordable houses on sites owned by the council in 2010 and 2011.
The department told the council there would be no funding for construction for new units in 2013. It was then told the Build to Lease project is its best way forward. The council said it had engaged with a voluntary bodies to see if it could get houses built.
***
Following the death of a homeless man in the town, in January 2013, councillors said they needed to have a “frank discussion” about homelessness.
June 2013
Bray town councillors voiced their unhappiness at Bray’s funding allocation for social housing in 2013.
A letter from the department stated that due to “budgetary and financial constraints” capital spending on the social housing programmes was “down on last year” and this was reflected in the local authorities allocation for 2013.
“There is no money to build new houses; very few landlords are signing up to the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and the government are cutting the grant schemes, which is seeing an increase in people not being able to afford their rent, which means they are signing onto the housing list, but they can’t get one,” said councillor Vance.
The town clerk said the council submitted appraisals for projects to the department but it was unclear if it would get approval to use capital receipts to build houses.
Council officials also said they were in discussions with voluntary bodies about build-to-lease schemes but said “there is little funding out there”.
***
July 2013
Sinn Fein’s John Brady – who was elected to the Dáil this year – says the letter the council received from Minister O’Sullivan in relation to the building of new homes in the town is “a whole lot about nothing”.
The letter informed the council it would be getting funding to build two homes in the town in 2013.
In total, six homes were coming on stream for that year. There were 1,200 people on the housing list at the time.
Councillor Vance said:
More people are coming on the list every day, so it is very important we plan for the future.
Labour councillor Ronan McManus (Former Labour TD for Wicklow Liz McManus’ son) said if the council has the land, it should be getting the money to build on it. Town council Cathaoirleach, Fine Gael’s Mick Glynn, said the department’s response was not sufficient to the problem.
“It just doesn’t make any sense not to build for ourselves.”
***
Local authorities across the country experienced the same problems, met the same roadblocks and held the same conversations.
The issues, felt locally the guts of this decade, have now gone national. Ministers are dealing with questions about the crisis every day, with Simon Coveney now acknowledging its emergency status.
Vance, who voiced his concerns about the housing disaster lurking around the corner years ago, today says “you didn’t have to be a genius to see what was going to happen”.
“There’s no quick fix for this. It’s not as easy as saying ‘we are going to build 50,000 houses’. It’s going to take more than two years to fix this.”
The definition of an emergency is “a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action”.
Vance said the situation Ireland finds itself in is not “unexpected”. An emergency? Yes. Unexpected? No.
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What relevance has Lewis marching alongside MLK got to this story?
For one, it shows he is not all talk no action. Two, it shows he is a man of principal. 3. While he was doing that, Don & his dad were evicting or refusing to rent to people because they were black.
@Brian Kearney:
Well his constituency has one of the highest crime rates in America so it ain’t all that and then some is he.
“Crime rate in Atlanta is one of the highest in the nation. Violent offences tracked included rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, including assault with a deadly weapon.”
I think he needs to have a word with his Democrat buddies. Ask them what they are doing about the state of Georgia rather than throwing his toys out because Donald won.
@Brian Kearney: Plenty of black rights activists are full of shit. Look no further than the reverend Al Shaprton
Trump will make Atlanta Great Again..Oh wait..
@Anton Friendo: Georgia is a red state, dimwit.
That would be the Rev. Al-not-so- Sharpton.
@Pádraig Ó Raghaill: “so it ain’t all that and then some is he.” WTF is this?
Will he still be Tweeting after the 20th?
Yes from the @POTUS account.
@Brianán B McBride:
Why not?
All modern politicians have Twitter accounts.
Twitter is the great social leveller.
@Mikhail Valtazar:
Haha!
@Mikhail valtazar It’ll be @PEETUS
Put your gaf on him being impeached before the end of 2017. Simply too stupid to last any longer.
HAHAHAHAHA loads of the stupid repuglicans voters freaking out with the repeal of 12 sections in the ACA. Voicing some serious panic on twitter, they didn’t know ACA = Obamacare. One ACA navigator saying how she gets dozens of calls every day from people looking for ACA but not Obamacare, you couldn’t make it up.
He really should stay away from Twitter!
Twitter allows the President-elect to communicate directly with the people so he can go around a hyper-partisan press to deliver his message.
@Mikhail Valtazar: The snowflakes in the media will be looking for their own ‘safe space’ on Capitol Hill and how to cover Trumps’s inauguration.
You’d nearly feel sorry for them…not.
So because he marched with someone who is long since dead that makes him somehow off limits for criticism of his work performance.
And twitter is the place where work performances should be judged?
@(((Jason))):
Some might say it is bringing a new transparency to politics, indeed, after Trump, no president will be able to hide in an ivory tower and not communicate with the people. His ‘connecting’ with the people be it positive or negative, will change future politics.
@Pádraig Ó Raghaill: You don’t connect with people by attacking those that disagree with you and by seeking confirmation bias, especially a president who did not secure the popular vote. Communication and engagement can be done with respect and PEOTUS should be above such petty attacks.
@Jason: “you don’t connect with people by attacking those that disagree with you”…John Lewis did literally that!!! Also FYI the popular vote is irrelevant to the US electoral system.
@(((Jason))):
He won fair and square in lines with how a representative federal republic works in the US. It has been fine for their entire history.
A public servant maybe should be more concerned that his public is not doing so well. Rather than jumping on the bandwagon against his soon to be President.
His ‘connecting’ with the people “be it positive or negative,” will change future politics.
@Pádraig Ó Raghaill: I never said he didn’t win fair and square, but he doesn’t have a popular mandate and does not have the support of the majority of the electorate.
@(((Jason))): He is the POTUS next week..time to move and stop being a sore loser.
@(((Jason))):
Few political leaders ever do, entirely irrelevant. Did the person win the election, if yes, proceed to being a bollox if not, sit back down and put the dunce cap on.
Patrick, not sure what you mean, Trump won and that’s it, I never said different. Just said twitter is not the best forum for peotus to be using to further his agenda. You should stop seeing things that aren’t there and putting words in my mouth.
@(((Jason))): Twitter has served him just fine, why should he bother entertaining a media that is virulently opposed to his every move, slanders him and twists everything he says?
@(((Jason))):
I answered you, but you continue talking shite -
Trump is also a public servant now and he should be working with other public servants to better the lives of all Americans. But continue to rant about what I haven’t said.
Pádraig, helpful tip for you, when he says Patrick Jessica talking to Patrick. When he says Pádraig he’s talking to you.
@Pádraig Ó Raghaill: Shite? All I said was that Trump didn’t win the popular vote and hence does not have a popular mandate and that he would be better engaged working with people. I’ve no time for idiots who can’t read and see things that aren’t said.
*he’s (Damn it)
Did not see that
@Pádraig Ó Raghaill: Orange jesus is the one hiding, potato brain. He’s had one press conference since summer because he has no policies and can’t string a coherent sentence together.
@Philip Gerard:
Try and string a sentence together that is actually coherent, I think you just channelled the Donald.
@Pádraig Ó Raghaill: What will they do if Trump/pence turn out to be hard working, productive, administration. Cut crime and bring back jobs. What will they do then?
What is ironic is how when, during the campaign, Trump hinted he might not accept the result there was uproar from the Hillary camp. But now it appears not accepting the result is ok, why?
@mark exactly! Throwing their toys out of the pram
Sore losers invariably display the worst hypocrisy.
Maybe because Hillary was blatently cheating her way to the democratic nomination.
I think it’s because he got a helping hand from the Russians or have you been living under a rock?
@Philip Mc dermott:
That would be a bedtime story for the kids
Yes as told by the CIA ,FBI homeland security and others or do you know something they don’t?
@Philip Mc dermott:
Yea, the likelihood of truthfulness – In other words, I don’t tend to believe the words of know pathological liars.
Go back under that rock.
And BTW even your hero trump has admitted the Russians got involved so are you calling him a liar!?
@Philip Mc dermott:
One, no hero of mine – two he said ‘I think’ – three it puts no extra validity on the blatant agitprop campaign – none at all, not one iota – what starts as bollox ends as bollox -
Philip, if the russisan really wanted to influence US politics all they had to do was give Hillary money like the saudis did.
So your hero saying I think Is still not enough for you?
@Philip Mc dermott:
Why would I care what someone says over what the facts present. Maybe that is your logic to just believe the words of liars.
He’s not my hero but i will admit im liking him a lot more since all the snowflakes started to self implode. In the greater scheme of things what russisa did or did not do is irrelevant.
@Philip Mc dermott:
The russians may or may not have been involved in releasing emails from Hillary and her camp, but it was the content of the emails that caused the problem.
I suppose that’s what comes of using an insecure server!!
What are you talking about everyone including trump says the Russians were involved, so WTF are you on about..
@Philip Mc dermott:
Ohh, people say it, so it must be true. Numpty fecker….
Why does he always have to bite ? A lesson in humility wouldn’t be wasted on him among other things !
He doesn’t know the meaning. He should however get used to it.
@Ruth Colbert: he’s right, why should he just accept people constantly saying bs things about him and his election. I’m sure you’d do the same in his position.
That’s right Teh…Bush didn’t respond when the snowflakes went after him and he paid the price. Obama had rabbit ears and responded to even the barest of slights. This pol took a shot at Trump and he fired back. Folks need to get used to it. Trump will always hit back…
Yes it would Ruth
Damn right. Could do with a bit a that here too.
Impeach the f****r!
@Francis Glynn:For what exactly?
For what?
Fraud, treason, sexual assault, tax evasion and general douche-baggery.
For a start.
Take your tinfoil hat off Colin! Lol too much time spent reading OccupyDemocrats obviously.
Douche-baggery is not an impeachable offence, unfortunately.
@Colin Moran: Obama sent drones into 7 countries and killed thousands of children and innocent adults?
@Francis Glynn: For what, bitter rumours and malicious lies?
If the best argument for the buffoon that is Trump to be president is that Obama did ‘bad’ things then I give up.
@Colin Moran: Who prepared the ground for Terumps victory but Obama especially when the Obamacare bill went out 2 days before the election with another hike in its cost?
Rumour has it that one million women, mainly liberal/Democrats are going to march on Washington next week wearing pink vagina hats in protest at Donald’s inauguration.
(you couldn’t make this up – but it’s true apparently)
One million vaginas and none as beautiful as the lovely Melania.
Why are you comparing Melania to a vagina?
Men are so embarrassing sometimes.
Republicans are constantly and already stopping women’s right to healthcare with no regard to for the women’s health, the children that are born or their need for Planning Parenthood and it’s not only women marching, they started it but it has become much more a protest against Trump and his policies. It is their right to march or would you like to take that away too?
@Alex Falcone: It’s true it’s called Geebags on the street.
People have a right to protest. The Trumpets are all upset that the majority of the people won’t succumb to the orange man. He’s not a dictator. Yet.
It would be truly frightening if Trump had not just been elected but had been enthusiastically embraced by the vast majority of US citizens. It is healthy and it is reassuring that so many stand in vigorous opposition to Trump.
It would be truly frightening if Trump had not just been elected but had been enthusiastically embraced by the vast majority of US citizens. It is healthy and it is reassuring that so many stand in vigorous opposition to Trump.
I agree with John Lewis and those who criticise Trump.
Trump needs to be reminded that he is not an emperor and that he answerable to the US citizenry.
@Dave O Keeffe: maybe because she’ll see you next tuesday
John Lewis, the same guy who disparaged Bernie Sanders questioning Sander’s commitment to the civil rights movement.
That John Lewis?
Silly old fool.
Hillary has to attend.though. And Bill.
Gonna be hilarious watching her face as Donald is sworn in.
No, John Lewis the guy who makes the Christmas ads with boxers and trampolines.
You literally couldn’t make this stuff up…
Trump is such a healer. His statesmanship and warmth is just what America needs right now.
Nicely understated.
What is it with the love for the Donald on here from some people you don’t even live in America,morons the lot of you, yous haven’t a clue what you’re on about.
@Philip Mc dermott: They’re mostly little boys posting from Macedonia and Russian trolls. I live in the US. He’s hated here by the vast majority of people. He’s a national embarrassment and a global punchline.
I know I live in new york myself, all of my American coworkers are mortified because of him.
What’s most troubling about all this is the fact that even if Russia was responsible for the DNC hack, which is very dubious, it had no real impact on the election at all.
The real damage was when the FBI reopened the case on Hillary just 2 days before polling.
As much as I despise Trump this whole Russia hacking fiasco is a ploy from the Democrats/Obama to taint him as much as possible before he enters office.
And hacking to realise a trail of factual undemocratic actions….couldn’t make it up
@Daniel Lambert: He’s tainted himself enough being a serial liar. rapist, and Putin puppet..
A political protest? Ridiculous, what are these people hoping to achieve?? The man has won, just get on with it
Must really piss off black people that white middle class suburban liberals have stolen their mantle as the most oppressed group in the US overnight.
Ah the white male victimhood card. See how far that gets you. Snowflake.
@Deborah Behan: On the contrary Deborah, it’s the female victim card that no longer washes. Hilary wasn’t elected, remember?
@Deborah Behan: With the election of little hands the sky is now the limit for white males in America. Free at last, free at last!
@Deborah Behan: I should also add, that the suicide rate among middle aged white males in America has skyrocketed over the past few years. Talk about snowlakes.
@Alex Falcone: wow you sir are an idiot.
Trump is a useless f*cker.
@Louise: He is a great man, highly intelligent. He is going to made America great again. I sent 300 dollars to help with his election campaign last August
Another AFP anti Trump special report.
Yawn.
John lewis, the same congressman who would lie though his teeth to gain favour with Hillary. Anything his says should be taken with a pinch of salt.
@Shane Kinsella: Yes, he thought Hillary would win and he slandered Bernie to curry favour with her.
He’s a real snake in the grass.
^^ This psycho stalks me on Twitter. Says everything you need to know about Cheetoh Christ’s backers.
Trump consistently manages to plumb the lowest depths of spiteful inanity and his supporters adore him for this.
Trump never has to say sorry or regret anything.
Trump is the first elected leader in modern times to be entire free of any criticism by his devoted and fanatical supporters.
Trump is totally immune to criticism.
My prediction:
Nest Friday is gonna be the greatest day in the history of the blogoshere.
It’s gonna BREAK THE INTERNET.
Nest Friday? The day the feathering begins
@Alex Falcone: I predict you’ll have plenty of vaseline and kleenex on standby.
@Alex Falcone: The Raising Ceremony by the 33rd Degree of Scottish Rite Freemasonry in the Temple Room at the inauguration of the U.S. president. For the spirit of Osiris / Apollo to rise into the President and that is what those Freemasons will be doing on that day as they do with every inauguration???????
Just reporting what they do, am just the messenger and not the message?
@Philip Gerard: You get a reputation for that as one looking for dates…
@Alois Irlmaier: Keep typing for your master.
@Philip Gerard: The truth should be everyones master.
I think he will be impeached within 12 months. They can’t do anything now but as soon as he is president, the wheels will be put in motion.
@Paul Mc Manus: They will have some job impeaching him on the Russian claims. It turns out to be a scam, fake news by Buzzfeed, published as truth by CNN
Trump is laughing at them making fools of themselves. He knows a lot more than people think.
According to the magazine “Catholics Alive”, the Hollywood set gave hundreds of millions of dollars to Hillary’s campaign on the promise she would repay them with tax breaks for artists. That is what Myrl Streep meant when she said Hollywood was the new poor. Money gone. Jaz-Z and byonce got 62 million for the Cleaveland rally gig.
Well if you think it
So John Lewis is attacking the US democratic process and all those who voted for Trump?
Because he wanted Hillary to win?
Hilary Clinton and her highly questionable behavior and that of some of those who worked for her, and the blatant bias and collusion of the MSM, destroyed her candidacy, the hacks just brought these things to the attention of the general public.
How long before the Security Services take the required action to remove a clear and present danger to the USA.
FBI Director James Comey being questioned by the Select Committee under Mr. Burr over getting access to the DNC emails and server.
Mr. Burr: “Were you given access to do the forensics on those servers.”
Dir Comey: “We were not, we were, a highly respected private company eventually got access and shared with us what they saw there.”
Mr. Burr: “Was there one request or multiple requests.”
Dir Comey: “Multiple requests at different levels and ultimately it was agreed to is, that the private company would share with us what they saw.”
Mr. Burr: “Do you know why were you denied access to these servers”
Dir Comey: “I do not know for sure, mmm, I do not know for sure.”
All this Russian nonsense does is prevents people from asking what was in Hillary’s emails, why is US infrastructure falling apart, talking about police shooting African Americans, immigration and why Hillary lost?
Why is FBI Director Comey still in his job and still alive?
@Vincent O’Halloran: For telling the truth about Hillary as did Wikileaks?
Gosh.
Someone wake me when all the mud slinging is over and the snowflakes have melted away and washed the alt-right back under their rocks.
That will be 8 years from now end of Trump’s 2nd term Media won’t let up till then
@John003: At least I will get a sleep in for once.
Trump told only ONE truth during the election campaign. “The election is rigged”.
So if all this guy is remembered for is waking with MLK in 1965, could trump be telling the truth?
Sounds a bit like our career politicians who have been in the dail since the 60′s and achieved very little.
I hope Trump sticks to his guns on the climate change hoax, and refused to pay Mugabe for Paris deal.
have your say