29 housing strategies since homeless man Jonathan Corrie’s death 33 months ago
THE Government has unveiled nearly a housing strategy a month since the death of homeless man Jonathan Corrie, just yards from the Dáil, on December 1, 2014.
The death of Mr Corrie was seen as the tipping point that finally made politicians aware of the extent of our housing crisis. Since then, two governments, three ministers and two junior ministers have tried to deal with the housing crisis on at least 29 occasions.
Former housing ministers Alan Kelly, Simon Coveney and incumbent minister Eoghan Murphy have instigated action plans, reviews and other strategies, dealing with issues as varied as modular hubs, rent predictability and appointing vacant building officers.
But, as Mr Murphy leads a review into predecessor Simon Coveney’s Rebuilding Ireland proposals, Fianna Fáil housing spokesperson Barry Cowen has hit out, saying:
‘Housing strategy in a state of ongoing chaos’
‘The Government’s housing strategy is in a state of ongoing chaos.’
Minister Murphy this week defended the Housing Department’s work to the Irish Mail on Sunday, saying good ‘progress is being made’ on the various schemes, while acknowledging ‘we still need to do more’. He added: ‘In a few weeks the Government will announce how we are going to improve some aspects as well as new initiatives.’
However, figures secured by Fianna Fáil show that key Government housing policies are failing:
Help to buy – price inflation has outstripped any financial benefit.
Social housing construction – only 800 new social homes will be constructed in 2017 compared to the Action Plan target of 5,000.
Vacant housing strategy – a year after its announcement the Minister is only moving now to appoint vacant housing officers.
Repair and leasing scheme for second-hand homes – only seven owners have taken this up.
Modular housing – the target is 1,000 by end of 2017 but only 22 have been completed to date.
Living city initiative – availed of by just 24 housing projects in Dublin and 32 nationally.
Nama social housing – local authorities accepted only 2,700 of the 6,893 properties offered.
Mortgage-to rent-scheme – just 265 households out of 3,694 applicants have been helped.
‘Fine Gael is engaging in their time-honoured politics of all theory and no practice,’ said Mr Cowen, adding that the department is ‘struggling to count the number of strategy documents’.
A department source said: ‘We are now dealing with so many housing associations we cannot come to a definitive number.’ It continues, however, ‘to implement the various objectives’ set out in the Rebuilding Ireland action plan, designed to accelerate all types of housing supply – social, private and rental’, added the source.
Homelessness campaigner Fr Peter McVerry said a more urgent response is required: ‘We need to declare a state of emergency and get all the departments involved in housing around the table and agree on a plan. That would happen if we had a serious threat to the economy.’
Simon Community press spokesperson Niamh Randall agreed: ‘No one minister can solve this – we need full Cabinet support and the key departments of HSE, health, social protection, finance… we need to look at things differently.’