Dec
MUNICIPAL HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL SOLVE OUR HOUSING CRISIS
ONE CORK News Release
December 2016
How do you create local employment, boost local businesses whilst at the same time enabling workers and their families to access decent and affordable housing? ONE Cork believe they have the solution to these and other issues in their new far reaching proposals on social housing rooted in the construction and local authority sectors which puts the building of social housing back into the hands of the Local authorities, albeit in a restructured way.
The housing crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing Ireland and the ONE Cork group is gravely concerned about the ongoing failure of Social Housing policy by successive governments and the adverse impacts suffered by members, their families and society. Nationally in 2015 a paltry 75 social housing units were directly built by local authorities, an indication that the drive to privatise this sector has not and will not work. A new model has to be put in place.
The ONE Cork policy proposals, provide a new model for Local Authorities to play a much greater and leading role in the delivery of social, affordable and market rental housing. This will significantly reduce the costs of building affordable homes, rejuvenate local communities and ensure strong local employment opportunities in housing maintenance and construction.
The proposals, the brain child of the ONE Cork group which is a collaboration of 20 trade unions operating in the Cork area, is explained by Barry Murphy from OPATSI;
"A proposal like this, which is long overdue, has at its heart the creation of a Municipal Housing Agency. This would pool together existing expertise across a number of local authorities in the areas of construction, architecture, engineering and finance to radically step up the delivery of high quality, cost effective, mixed income rental housing. Cork City Council and Cork County council working to collectively increase housing supply could act as a unique template for other parts of the country. The current government’s over-reliance on the private sector and affordable housing bodies to meet current housing need means we are far off adequately resolving the housing crisis. In construction we have long seen what has been the mishandling of housing policy, with policies which worked in the 70’s and 80’s abandoned for the private model which clearly has never worked.
Currently we have children living as virtual prisoners in hotel rooms where they have no space to play and be children. These proposals will provide real solutions to this crisis by enabling the State to provide affordable housing in developments of mixed tenure, which won’t cost much more than current spending. It also has the potential to change the outlook for many communities ravaged by huge unemployment and the legacy of ghost estates."
Commenting on the proposal, Marie Sherlock, SIPTU Economist explained
"At the core of the municipal housing authority proposal is a rethink about how we deliver housing in Ireland. It would enable municipal authorities to overcome existing roadblocks in terms of access to local government funding and directly access EIB and other finance from the Housing Finance Agency, the cost of which is at historically low levels. Furthermore, persistent undersupply of social housing can only be resolved through the development of mixed income projects, of social, affordable and market rental housing.
Barry believes now is the right time to act and act fast. "This proposal makes complete sense and is a way to deal with one of the worst effects of the crash now. All it needs is the political will. We can't wait any longer, our workers can't wait any longer, society can't wait any longer. Action is needed now, all our children deserve a secure future which includes a safe and secure home"
For more information, contact Barry Murphy 0864137922
ENDS
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