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File photo of houses Shutterstock/John And Penny

There are 27 empty houses for every one person in emergency accommodation

The Simon Communities want vacant properties to be used to boost social housing supply.

THERE ARE 27 empty houses for every one person in emergency accommodation, according to the Simon Communities.

The homeless and housing charity has said it is unacceptable that 198,358 homes lie empty in Ireland (about 13% of total housing stock) while 7,167 people live in emergency accommodation.

The number of vacant houses is based on preliminary figures from the 2016 Census and excludes holiday homes and derelict buildings.

The Simon Communities are today launching a 10-point plan about how they believe these vacant properties can be utilised to help tackle the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis.

This plan makes a number of proposals including the establishment of a vacant housing register; incentive schemes to encourage property owners to sell or lease their properties to boost social housing supply; the introduction of compulsory leasing orders (CLOs) and compulsory purchase orders (CPOs); and the introduction of a vacant property tax for houses that are empty for more than 12 months.

Simon said such a tax could be “calculated on the basis of property value or potential rental income and increased the longer a property remains vacant”.

Meanwhile, CLOs and CPOs would enable local authorities to seek permission to force a lease or sale on the owner of an empty property so it can be used as social housing.

Different parts of the country

The Simon Communities deliver support and services to thousands of people and families who experience homelessness or are at risk of homelessness every year.

In a statement, the charity notes:

In Cork there are 269 people living in emergency accommodation, while there are 21,287 vacant housing units. In Dublin, there are 3,247 people in emergency accommodation and 35,293 empty units. In Limerick there are 252 people living in emergency accommodation and 8,463 vacant housing units.

Niamh Randall, national spokesperson for the Simon Communities, said the fact there are 27 empty houses per every person in emergency accommodation is shocking.

“When you look at it, it’s extremely stark.”

Speaking to TheJournal.ie ahead of today’s launch, Randall said better monitoring of and research around vacant properties is needed.

She noted that not all of the vacant properties would be suitable for social housing but, given the number of empty houses, even if half or a quarter of them were, that’s still a significant number.

“We need to see if all these houses are empty and why, as soon as possible. We need to act quickly on this. Who owns them, how can we make them available?”

Slow pace

Randall said Simon “absolutely welcomed” Rebuilding Ireland, the government’s plan to tackle housing and homelessness issues, describing it as “the most comprehensive plan we’ve ever had” in this area.

However, she said the charity was “concerned about the pace” at which extra social housing is being made available.

“We know house building in slow, we need to look at low hanging fruit like empty houses – how we can turn them around quickly and make them available.”

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Randall noted that as well as the 90,000 or so people on the social housing and the more than 7,000 people in emergency accommodation, there are many others dealing with the stresses of housing insecurity, such as two families sharing one house, or parents and children moving in with their grandparents.

Properties owners have said the almost 200,000 empty houses are vacant for numerous reasons, including probate, investment and property being inherited through the death of relatives.

“[Rebuilding Ireland] contains a number of initiatives aimed at reducing vacancy in the private and public housing stock. Effective resourcing and implementation of these initiatives is required to have a meaningful impact on the current vacancy rate.

“The commitment to develop a vacant housing reuse strategy is positive, a coordinated response is now needed to maximise the potential return of empty homes that would bolster social housing supply, providing permanent homes quickly for those that need them most,” Randall said.

She also stressed the importance of keeping the housing and homelessness crisis at the top of the government’s agenda, regardless of what other issues are going on.

“There are current political issues dominating the agenda, no matter who is in the role of Taoiseach in the coming weeks we need to make sure that housing and homelessness remains a number one priority,” she said.

‘Significant level of investment’

Speaking to the Oireachtas housing committee yesterday, Housing Minister Simon Coveney said 2017 will see “a very significant level of new investment in housing”.

90436542 Simon Coveney Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

“As I have previously stated, housing is an absolute priority for this government and this is clearly evidenced by the level of resources that have been allocated to support my department’s housing programmes this year. The revised estimates show that €1.2 billion is being made available for housing programmes in 2017.

“In addition, local authorities will fund a range of housing services to the value of €92 million from surplus Local Property Tax receipts, bringing the total housing provision to almost €1.3 billion. This investment will see the housing needs of 21,050 households being met in 2017.

Through a provision of €732 million for capital expenditure – made up of €655 million Exchequer funding and €77 million self-funded by local authorities from LPT receipts – local authorities and approved housing bodies will be in a position to deliver 4,450 units through a combination of construction, acquisitions, rapid build and returning vacant units to productive use.

Coveney added that a new vacant repair and leasing initiative will “allow local authorities to provide financial assistance to property owners to bring vacant properties up to standard which can then be leased for social housing”.

“The scheme is being rolled out nationally with total available investment of €32 million, which will support up to 800 vacant properties to be brought back into use as new homes for families on local authority waiting lists.

“A new ‘Buy and Renew’ initiative will support local authorities and approved housing bodies to purchase private housing units in need of remediation, renew them and make them available for social housing use. An initial capital provision of €25 million will be available for this initiative in 2017,” Coveney stated.

Read: FactCheck: Are there really 8,500 social housing units currently being built?

Read: FactCheck: How many new social housing units does the government plan to build?

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29 Comments
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    Mute Seymour business
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    Feb 28th 2017, 8:36 PM

    Always seemed to me to be genuinely committed to getting to the truth. Rare enough in big party politics.

    209
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    Mute Randal McNally
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    Feb 28th 2017, 11:50 PM

    Rare ? You mean “Never Seen” !

    22
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    Mute MuckyMoo
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    Feb 28th 2017, 8:35 PM

    RIP. One of the good guys in politics

    216
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    Mute Euro is Dead
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    Feb 28th 2017, 9:48 PM

    Cometh the hour, Cometh the man. He will be sorely missed. Ar Dheis De go Raibh a Anam

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    Mute Willie Bill Bryan
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    Feb 28th 2017, 8:51 PM

    One of the good ones RIP Peter

    137
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    Mute John McGuirk
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    Feb 28th 2017, 8:44 PM

    This is a beaufifully written obituary. I’m always first to criticise the Journal when it gets it wrong, but this is a great piece of Journalism. Well done Orla Ryan.

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    Mute Tony Daly
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    Feb 28th 2017, 8:37 PM

    He was well intentioned, principled, noble, decent and fair minded.

    He saw through thevdysfunctionality and malgovernance of the Banks, as well as the deleterious effect of the banking abuses on society.

    149
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    Mute Charlie Wrex
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    Feb 28th 2017, 9:01 PM

    Always struck me as a man of principle, good humour, and great insight. One of the good guys.

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    Mute Sean @114
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    Feb 28th 2017, 9:27 PM

    His tussles with Vincent Brown were legendary. RIP.

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    Mute Emmet O'Keeffe
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    Feb 28th 2017, 9:21 PM

    Always managed to get right under Vincent Browne’s skin.

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    Mute Patrick j Brady
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    Feb 28th 2017, 9:27 PM

    RIP….a man of principles. . Called it as it was…. sadly not many td’s like him…

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Feb 28th 2017, 9:25 PM

    A good apple in a barrel of bad ones rip

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    Mute Paul Lane
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    Feb 28th 2017, 10:13 PM

    A genuinly good guy, albeit I disagreed with a lot he had to say, but he was always very brave on Vincent Browne and sadly missed. What a loss

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    Mute Sparxz1
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    Feb 28th 2017, 9:58 PM

    No place in Lenster house for Men of High Calibre and noble principle !
    The Face of Kenny & so-called Dr O’Reilly laughing at dying man(he had already being diagnosed).
    I wonder how many are thinking today, that Lenister house cannot be reformed, & will have to be abolished to some how save the Irish Nation.

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    Mute Diarmuid Doran
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    Feb 28th 2017, 9:43 PM

    Nice tribute Orla.

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    Mute Phil O'Donnell
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    Feb 28th 2017, 10:31 PM

    Sincere condolences to your family and friends. Would not have agreed with you on all policies but was a huge admirer. In my opinion a person of hige integrity and in politics for all the right reasons. R.I.P..

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Feb 28th 2017, 8:44 PM

    “Kenny said he was “deeply saddened” by Mathews’ death” hypocrite…..

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    Mute Mick Rick Jones
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    Mar 13th 2017, 7:42 PM

    @Kerry Blake: your comment is spot on, and can be extended to others in Fine Gael and Labour leadership , who drove Matthews and other decent people of conscience, out of the Dail.

    Their hypocrisy extends along the Fine Gael front bench, to Labour as well. No room for conscience on abortion there.

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    Mute the truth
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    Feb 28th 2017, 10:51 PM

    struck me as a genuine fella who wanted to make a difference then realised he hadn’t a hope of being allowed do anything .

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    Mute Noel Holland
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    Feb 28th 2017, 10:42 PM

    RIP peter mathews. That u tube video is worth a watch….

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    Mute Randal McNally
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    Feb 28th 2017, 11:48 PM

    Yes. He asked the hard questions and got few answers from our “Closed Ranked” political and unaccountable civil service parasites ! RIP

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    Mute Aindriú Purfield
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    Mar 1st 2017, 3:57 AM

    Noonan knows nothing about Economics or Finance.

    He’s just a perfect lackey for the ECB and the eurogroup and that is why he was put where he was.

    History has already absolved honest and intelligent politicians like Matthews and shown up Noonan and Kenny for the slimy subhuman worms that they are.

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    Mute William Kelly
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    Mar 1st 2017, 8:11 AM

    Our electoral system yields up some TDs of quality, who stand out from the party foot soldiers as professional, & strong in character, & who genuinely seem intent on contributing to building a better society. Mr. Mathews was one that few, but the stultified & whipped party system failed to recognise & give scope for that powerful intellectual commitment to the community. That his challenges to the “system” we’re smothered by his own party is yet another bad reflection on their recent form.

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    Mute Eoghan Pettit
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    Mar 1st 2017, 12:05 PM

    He was thoughtful, reasonable, well spoken and his own man. Very sad for his family. RIP

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    Mute KerryBlueMike
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    Mar 1st 2017, 10:21 PM

    Rip Peter, you did well sir.

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    Mute Mick Rick Jones
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    Mar 13th 2017, 7:37 PM

    Peter Matthews bravely, with a few others, opposed the Kenny/Labour abortion bill in 2013..

    Like Lucinda Creighton, B Timmons,T Flanagan — all Fine Gael TDs, driven from Fine Gael and the Dail, shamefully refused a free, conscientious vote — Peter Matthews, for his honest principles and stand aginst abortion, was also driven out of Fine Gael, for upholding their election promise not to legalise abortion.

    I hope none of the Fine Gael/Labour pro abortion hierarchy, who refused him and others that free vote of conscience on abortion, show their shameful faces at his funeral, or insult his decent memory now, with their customary crocodile tears of condolence.

    In 2013, we saw how they treated him and others.

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