The Green Party has long campaigned for affordable sustainable housing solutions and especially now in our housing crisis.
The Affordable Housing Bill gives a great opportunity and gateway to introduce new housing models to the State, such as community-led housing which is a ground up approach that enables people to pool their assets and resources to create homes and communities which meet their particular needs in a sustainable manner.
Another sustainable housing model which is centred on affordability and part of the Bill is cost-rental, which is Green Party housing policy and one that we have and will continue to push for as part of the government’s response to the affordability crisis.
Full transcript:
The Bill gives a great opportunity and gateway to introduce new housing models to the State, such as community-led housing which is a ground up approach that enables people to pool their assets and resources to create homes and communities which meet their particular needs in a sustainable manner.
There is significant evidence and examples of the benefits of this model across Europe in terms of long-term affordability, addressing loneliness, social cohesion and environmental sustainability. I have visited such a complex in Berlin where costs of homes are 30% lower. I hope to submit clear recommendations to the bill for policy development in line with international best practice, and I hope the Minister will consider this model as part of the Bill.
Another sustainable housing model which is centred on affordability and part of the Bill is cost-rental, which is Green Party housing policy and one that we have and will continue to push for as part of the government’s response to the affordability crisis. We believe cost-rental built en masse in the region of 10,000 units annually for ten years can make the rental market affordable.
My colleagues and I will continue to work with you Minister and your Dept. to ensure that cost-rental remains permanently affordable and is a state-led housing model. We need to ensure that cost-rental units remain cost-rental in perpetuity, that rents do not increase, but in fact decrease after the cost calculation period ends. We need to cap the equity returns to 3.5% and importantly, ensure that tenants are protected by offering tenancies of indefinite duration.
Finally, this Bill gives a good opportunity to level the playing pitch for first-time buyers and to ensure they’re not outbid by pension funds. The Green Party will be bringing forward an amendment to ensure that 30% of units in apartment developments are reserved for first-time buyers.
Minister, I look forward to engaging with you on the above amendments.
Thank you