Government Reliance on Developers for Housing ‘Foolish and Mistaken’

Dublin South West representative Seán Crowe TD has said the
Government’s over reliance on Private Developers to deliver housing
accommodation is foolish and mistaken. Crowe was responding to new
figures that home building is down in Dublin from a high of 14,375 in
2006 to 2,075 last year.

Deputy Sean Crowe said

“The Government’s reliance on the private sector and private
developers to deliver housing accommodation in Dublin is foolish and
mistaken.

“Dublin needs 8,000 new homes every year but home builds are down from
a high of 14,375 in 2006 to 2,075 last year.

“Private developers are failing to build and deliver homes for the
people of Dublin and this the primary cause of spiralling rents
increases in the rental sector.

“What is needed is a Government funded housing programme for home
building in Dublin. We urgently need social and affordable homes to
meet current demand and that of an increasing population.

“The number of social housing units not being built is alarming with
Government plans for just 1750 by the end of 2017 across the state and
just 168 in Dublin in that time period.

“This snail’s pace of private construction and the tiny amount of
social housing construction will only lead to a continuation of the
rent increases we have seen in recent years. Rents have gone up 35%
since 2011.

“We clearly need a major investment in social housing construction on
an annual basis building at least 7000 social housing units a year. We
also need rent regulation and rent certainty to stabilise the market
as well as an increase in rent supplement in order to keep tenants at
risk of homelessness in their own home.”

“South Dublin County Council along with other local authorities has
the development land to meet the needs of Dublin. What is  lacking is
Government funding to build on this land.  Minister Kelly continues to
promise that funding resources are not the problem but his reliance on
the private sector to deliver accommodation is foolish and won’t
deliver for families and individuals desperately seeking a permanent
place that they can call home.”