Criticism of local government delivery of social housing across the country.
While the government says that it is prioritising the delivery of social housing, it has emerged that just 780 social homes were directly built by local authorities in 2017. There is now further doubt over the exact number of homes being built by local authorities. Housing experts and opposition politicians say that local authority building figures have been overstated by almost one hundred per cent.
There are almost 130,000 people on waiting lists for social housing across the country.
Building new properties is central to tackling the housing crisis. In 2007, over two thousand new homes were added to the stock of social housing. However, just 780 of those properties were directly built by local authorities. Housing analyst and architect Mel Reynolds says that a further breakdown suggests that the actual figure of properties built by local authorities is even lower. Mel Reynolds says that the actual number of social houses built by local authorities is 394. The difference in the figures is caused by the inclusion of turnkey units which are basically new houses provided for sale in the private sector. While they are additional social homes, they are not built by local authorities. Mel Reynolds says that while it looks like local authorities are ramping up construction activity, this is not the case.
That's where a private developer supplies the site, builds the house and sells it to the council.
According to Mel Reynolds, the most cost effective way to provide social housing is to build on local authority owned land. The acquisition of turnkey properties is more expensive and means that local authorities are competing with ordinary buyers thereby pushing up the price of new homes.
The local authority could be building at least two houses for every single house purchase from the private sector in Dublin.
Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy refutes any claims that the build figures are being overstated. He says that this is private build and delivery and that the local authorities are not in competition with private buyers. He claims that these homes would not have been built if the local authority had not contracted the site or provided the funds for construction.
Eoghan Murphy says that in conjunction with this, plenty of state land is also being developed and the construction of affordable homes on this land will commence shortly.
They are newly built homes for people on the social housing list.
Fianna Fáil spokesperson on housing Darragh O'Brien claims that the government is hiding behind the headline figure for housing completions.
The headline figure is pathetic.
This episode of 'Morning Ireland' was broadcast on 30 May 2018. The presenter is Bryan Dobson. The reporter is Louise Byrne.
