Tipperary TD Martin Browne has said that people will continue to fall through the many cracks in the government’s latest housing plan.
Following the launch of the government’s latest housing plan Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland, Tipperary Sinn Féin TD Martin Browne has said for people trying to access social housing, and for those hoping to purchase a home to call their own, little will be achieved.
Teachta Browne said:
“Unfortunately, it is a huge disappointment for the thousands of ordinary people struggling to rent and buy at the moment. This is not housing for all but more of the same failed Fine Gael and Fianna Fail housing policy that created this crisis in the first place.
“At the end of 2020, the social housing need in Co Tipperary was 3,481. According to Tipperary County Council, around 60% of this figure were people in receipt of the Housing Assistance Payment.
“Everyday, I hear from people who are either being denied the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) because of the unduly low-income limits demanded of them or to people getting HAP who are facing eviction in a space housing market as the house owner has decided to sell up.
“These people will be no better off as a result of the new housing plan.
“There will be little if any increase in direct capital investment by Government in social and affordable homes between now and 2025, which means rents and house prices will continue to rise and supply will continue to lag behind demand.
“There is nothing in the plan to tackle rising rents, however, there is plenty for developers including the controversial shared equity loan scheme which will inflate house prices further.
“This plan is just another Rebuilding Ireland by a different name.
“The target of 33,000 new homes by 2025 includes just 10,000 social homes, 2,000 affordable purchase, and 2,000 cost rental homes, this means that social and affordable housing delivery in 2022, 2023, and 2024 will be broadly what was in the pipeline before his plan was produced.
“Sinn Féin has a plan to ensure the delivery of at least 20,000 social, affordable rental and affordable purchase homes a year through new-build, acquisition and refurbishment of vacant and derelict stock.
“We also need to ban rent increases for three years and reduce rents with a refundable tax credit putting a month’s rent back in every renter’s pocket. We need stronger legal protections to prevent renters from being evicted into homelessness
“We need a dramatic increase in the number of housing first tenancies, to at least 500 per year, to tackle long term homelessness and we need a date for a referendum to enshrine the right to housing in the constitution should be set for 2022.
“This plan is a huge missed opportunity and the reality is it will do very little to help those currently struggling to rent or buy. It is clear that in the battle between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, that delayed the launch of today’s plan by over a month, Fine Gael has won and housing policy is still being dictated by Leo Varadkar’s party.”
