Local authority housing has increased by 40 per cent in the past three years and a national housing authority is needed, according to a new report from the National Economic and Social Forum.
It also highlights the increasing marginalisation of those on the housing list, for example 60 per cent of those on the Dublin housing list are single mothers.
The forum, which includes members of the Oireachtas and representatives from employer, union and voluntary bodies, says a housing authority should have a similar role to that of Forfβs in the area of industrial development, by providing strategic policy advice and technical support to government, local authorities and other housing providers. The Government has told the NESF its proposal is still under consideration.
The NESF states that, "With the slowing in the rate of increase in house prices and the emerging spare capacity in the construction industry because of the economic slowdown, the social housing provisions in the National Development Plan should now be brought forward."
It calls for targets to be set to eliminate housing waiting lists, improvements in services, and an increase in the supply of building lands through windfall profits tax and price controls.
Although the report was submitted to the Government before the Budget none of the proposals on social housing were included in the programme for next year. The chairwoman of the NESF, Ms Maureen Gaffney, said It was "extraordinarily difficult to get publicity for social housing because, unlike health, most people are not exposed to the problems".
A representative of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on the NESF, Mr Blair Horan, said the Government had restored tax relief for landlords on mortgage relief and eased capital gains tax.
There had been fewer private housing starts this year "because there isn't demand for homes at the current prices", he said. "By bringing landlords back into the market the Government will help keep prices up and continue to exclude people on modest incomes from the housing market."
The report approves of several Government initiatives, such as integrated interdepartmental programmes in deprived urban and rural communities.