Housing For All to address the housing and affordability crisis in Ireland

The Green Party has welcomed the Housing for All plan, which will give people access to high-quality housing to rent or buy at an affordable price. This strategy will see the highest ever level of Government investment in building social and affordable housing. Housing for All includes an unprecedented €12bn State investment for housing up to 2025, increasing the supply of new housing to an average of 33,000 homes a year. It will also provide an additional 6,000 additional affordable homes each year for purchase or rent, 2,000 of which will be made available through ‘cost rental’.

Green Party Spokesperson for Housing, Francis Noel Duffy TD said;

“Housing for All provides a clear and costed plan to help all citizens have access to affordable, high standard housing for purchase or rent. The plan aims to support home ownership and increase affordability, it sets ambitious aims to eradicate – not just reduce – homelessness, it aims to strengthen and protect rent tenancies, increase new housing supply to over 30,000 a year and address the issue of vacant housing stock. These targets are underpinned by significant levels of multi-annual funding, amounting to €4bn a year.

“Cost rental housing is being introduced to Ireland for the first time and is going to be an absolute game changer in the delivery of affordable rental accommodation for generations to come. I am particularly glad to see the targets for cost-rental units increase from the current number of 450 to 2,000 units a year. While it’s a significant start and increase on the current figures, I would like to see the number of cost-rental units increase to 10,000 units a year to stabilise the rental sector.”

Housing for All is based on four pathways that work together to lead to a more sustainable housing system. The plan will support home ownership and increase affordability; address homelessness, increase social housing delivery and support social inclusion; increase housing supply and make efficient use of the existing stock of homes.

Green Party Spokesperson for Planning and Local Government, Steven Matthews TD said;

“Housing is the most critical issue in Ireland at the moment, spanning every sector of society and every age group. Housing for All is a suite of measures that will help deal with the affordability crisis, and Green Party objectives and housing policies are at the core of this plan. We will see large scale delivery of public housing on public land all around the country.

“We also want people living in houses they can afford to heat and live in. We’re beginning to retrofit our existing social housing stock. What that does is bring people out of fuel poverty, while making their homes warmer and significantly cheaper to run.” 

Green Party Spokesperson for Rural Development, and Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Senator Róisín Garvey said;

“Town Centres First is a key objective of the Green Party and the Housing for All Strategy. As a Party we always look at things holistically and that’s why we need to build sustainable communities, not just housing. There are so many derelict and empty houses that could be homes. 

“We’ve seen housing delivery through the decades in Ireland that has led to urban sprawl and people living unsustainable distances away from their work. We need more compact housing in the right locations with the right services close by. We need sustainable, rural transport corridors, good cycling infrastructure and safe walking routes to school. With housing done right, we can keep rural shops and schools open and reverse the decline we have seen for decades in our towns and villages. What this strategy means is that we’re going to have affordable choices for young people, old people, and families.”