The Socialist Party regularly get heartbreaking calls from people waiting years on the Council’s housing list. The wait is particularly desperate for anyone on the 2-bed list as none are being built in Dublin 15 by the Council.
With thousands of houses/apartments now vacant or unsold, it is clear that these should be acquired to house families. To this end, Cllr Ruth Coppinger recently proposed that the Council seize the opportunity of the burst property bubble to negotiate with developers to acquire units at knock-down prices for social and affordable housing. This was agreed in February.
However, a government directive has since ordered Councils to enter into long-term agreements to rent – not buy – vacant units. This would mean tenants could be housed for a period of years, then evicted without a care, leaving developers free to sell units on when prices pick up. It also means continued costs to the taxpayer in rent subsidies to private landlords. This issue must be raised with FF and Green candidates who call to the doors — bail out those on the housing list not their developer friends.
