Needs of lower-income households not met

The Government's social housing building programme is failing to keep pace with the demand for accommodation from lower-income households, according to a report on the housing crisis published yesterday by the National Economic and Social Forum.

The report, prepared for the Government advisory body by a project group drawn from the Oireachtas and social partnership institutions, warns that home ownership is now beyond the reach of most people on average incomes.

The planned increase in social housing, if realised, should make significant inroads on the current housing lists, the report states.

"But the scale of this will not be enough to address the expected continuing increase in demand. The Government's policy responses must, therefore, be further strengthened and co-ordinated more effectively across all tenure types, especially for the most vulnerable groups in our society."

Among the report's key recommendations are the setting of targets for the elimination of local authority housing waiting lists, the establishment of a national housing authority and the elimination of barriers to the supply of land.

Entitled Social and Affordable Housing and Accommodation: Building the Future, it is the 18th policy document published by the NESC, which was established by the Government under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach in 1993.

The report was compiled following consultation with a range of housing interest groups and property experts over the past year.

It describes the housing crisis as one of the most serious economic and social policy issues facing Irish society.

"The scale of housing shortages across all tenures (private, rented, local authority, voluntary sector) and the associated unsuitable increases in prices have the potential to put at risk our new-found levels of prosperity, employment and social achievements over the last decade."

Moreover, the report states: "Ireland's population is now more divided than ever between those who can afford to buy expensive private housing and a growing minority who are finding it increasingly difficult to access secure, good quality and affordable accommodation."

The pace of change is demonstrated by Department figures which show that more than 60 per cent of those in need of local authority housing joined the waiting lists less than two years ago.

Nearly 90 per cent of these have an average income of less than £10,000 a year and two-thirds have incomes of less than £6,000 a year.

The local authority lists themselves have increased by more than 40 per cent over the past three years.

The report cites a lack of progress on certain Government proposals, such as the Serviced Land Initiative, which was due to yield 100,000 housing sites in 1999-2000.

The Department has estimated that by the end of 2000 71,558 such sites will be developed, 29,676 of which will be in the greater Dublin area.

However, Department figures from last June showed that only 994 sites were completed in the greater Dublin area, which included Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. Just 9,006 sites in the State as a whole had been developed.

The report states that "concern about the initiative's ability to deliver sufficient additional serviced sites to meet demand is justified".

Among the measures called for to speed up the process is an increase in resources and planning staff in local authorities. The report says the Government should also examine the scope for introducing further tax measures, including a windfall profits tax, to ensure land is made available within a reasonable time and at reasonable cost.

In relative terms, the report states, social housing output now accounts for only 8 per cent of all houses built. "This is by far the lowest share for any period in this century."

Lack of planning, capacity constraints in the building industry, the cost of building land and local opposition to local authority building programmes are cited as the main obstacles to progress.

A full copy of the report can be found at: www.nesf.ie