Not one part of our housing sector works

THERE’S no part of the housing sector that’s not broken. Those with mortgage approval must queue in the rain for the chance to buy a home. There’s little or nothing for those on average earnings being built, and now it appears that the social housing programme is, at best, being delivered at a snail’s pace.

The Government can talk all it likes about ambition and having funding in place, but the fact that no new social houses have been built in some counties, as of last January, tells the story. After all, we have spoken about a crisis for at least three years.

While everyone acknowledges that city and county councils lost a lot of expertise after being ordered to stop building homes during the downturn, the fact it’s taking so long to ramp up delivery suggests there are systemic problems.

The information highlighted today is based on a report published in January, which set out progress on the social housing programme up to quarter three last year. The update status report published last night, which is long overdue, doesn’t really paint a different picture overall.

More units have been delivered but fewer are under construction. In addition, more are in the planning process.

But what’s the measure of success? 2,000 completed homes? 3,000? We shouldn’t forget that some of these schemes entered the approval process in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 but are not yet on site.

Both the Department of Housing and Minister Eoghan Murphy insist that targets as set out in Rebuilding Ireland will be achieved, and that the system is capable of delivering the programme. So what’s the problem? Some councils entered the approvals process only last year.

Wasnoonefromthe department calling to ask what the delay was?

Other schemes are mired in planning for years. Has no one queried why? Is there an issue with the documentation being submitted? Do councils and approved housing bodies have the staff with the necessary expertise in place? Are projects being delayed, as some suggest, because the money isn’t there? Officials insist not.

The housing crisis shows no sign of going away. While in general terms progress is being made as more homes are delivered, they are not being produced fast enough. The price of a new home keeps rising, as do rents. That puts the State on the hook for more as it buys, leases and funds social homes.

There are 92,000 people on social housing waiting lists. As of January, not one unit had been built for the 5,187 waiting in Offaly, Wicklow, Leitrim and Laois. Just 17 had been provided to 4,780 waiting in Westmeath, Clare, Sligo and Roscommon.

It’s not the case that more policy is needed. But if money is no object, and the system can supposedly deliver, then why is progress so slow?