Sinn Féin candidate for Dublin South West, Seán Crowe, has stated that a Sinn Féin Minister for Housing would introduce an emergency three year rent reduction and freeze, and they would deliver the largest public housing building programme in the history of the State.
Speaking after the launch of Sinn Féin’s housing manifesto, Seán Crowe said:
“Fine Gael have been in government for nine years and we have seen a 79% increase in adult homelessness, a child homelessness increase of 476%, rents have increased by 85% in Dublin, and house prices are up 46% in Dublin.
“Thanks to the support of Fianna Fáil over the past four years, this current government have made things worse, with rents and levels of homelessness spiralling.
“Tens of thousands of families continue to languish on Council housing waiting lists for a decade or more and tens of thousands of renters are paying up to 40% – and in some cases 50% – of their income on accommodation.
“An entire generation of young people are locked out of ever owning their own home.
“All of this has happened because for three decades – first Fianna Fáil and then Fine Gael – have followed the same set of bad housing policies. They live in a bubble and just don’t get it.
“Sinn Féin wants to change all of that.
“We want to be in government to break with the failed policies of the past and implement a completely new approach to housing.
“Our housing manifesto outlines how we will deliver the largest public housing building programme in the history of the State by delivering 100,000 public homes on public land; including 60,000 social homes, 30,000 affordable purchase homes and 10,000 affordable rental homes
“We would take 60,000 families off Council house waiting lists, give 30,000 first time buyers genuinely affordable homes and start to build up a stock of affordable cost rental accommodation.
“A Sinn Féin Minister for Housing would also take emergency action to address the rental crisis by reducing rents by up to €1,500 a year with a refundable tax credit, alongside introducing a three year freeze on all existing and new rents.
“Our Housing Manifesto is fully costed and can be delivered without additional government borrowing, or additional taxes on workers earning less than €100,000 per year.
“General election 2020 offers a clear choice and I am calling on voters in Dublin South West to back me in order to deliver Sinn Féin ambitious housing plan to tackle the housing crisis.”
ENDS