Sir, – While we are in agreement with many of the views expressed in Rory Hearne's "How the Government should tackle the housing crisis" (Opinion & Analysis, May 11th), there are four important points that merit more nuanced thinking and indeed where we may provide some clarification.
First, the assertion that public housing can be built a third cheaper than private-developer financed housing. In fact, in our experience, and that of local authorities nationwide, social housing can cost more to build to ensure that proper, quality homes are provided.
Second, and I think a more serious issue, there is widespread agreement that there is a high demand for more social and affordable housing. Caution is needed to avoid over-concentrating low-income households in particular areas.
As the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Simon Coveney pointed out more broadly on Today with Sean O'Rourke (May 11th), "we need to build homes quickly, but we need to make sure we don't repeat the mistakes of the past, and that homes are built in the right places, to the right standards".
Housing must be viewed interdepartmentally and holistically. Rigorous planning is required to ensure that any new-build communities, whether for social housing or private rental or ownership, are sustainable over the long term.
Third, like most commentators, the reflex is to concentrate on bricks and mortar to solve our problems. We have over 200,000 empty homes in Ireland. If even half of these vacant homes were brought into use, it would provide enough for fours years. We need to prioritise the management of our existing housing stock to meet our needs while the house building sector recovers capacity.
Finally, Dr Hearne recommends the establishment of a new housing and homes agency to lead and oversee this building programme. We believe this move could risk losing the valuable local knowledge that housing authorities have in addressing local housing needs.
In the new programme for government, there is a commitment to “providing affordable, quality and accessible housing for our people”. The Housing Agency will be working with the new Government, local authorities and a range of stakeholders on the long game of ensuring and prioritising affordability and sustainable communities. – Yours, etc,
DAVID SILKE,
Housing Agency,
53 Upper Mount Street,
Dublin 2.