********** Housing the homeless **********
              from Workers Solidarity No 35
                                      [1992?]
 
A year ago this February the Irish Times 
headlined an article "Housing plan aims to 
provide 5,000 more homes for the poor".  If 
your one of the thousands rushing for the 
evening press at 12.00 and then to the phone 
you might well be wondering where these homes 
are.  If your now, living in a damp little 
brown room that costs more than you can 
afford it's probably small consolation to 
know that your not alone.   In 1989 it was 
estimated that over 19,000 people needed housing.  
Another assessment of housing needs was carried out 
this year, but this time the government has decided 
not to publish the findings of the review board.  In 
February, the government said that large scale 
building by local authorities "would not now be 
appropriate".  It would seem Padraigh Flynn (Minister 
for the environment) doesn't think shelter is 
appropriate for the homeless. The same report in the 
Irish Times stated that there will be 1,500 housing 
starts this year, yet so far only 173 have been 
approved for Dublin, Cork and Waterford, with less 
than 1000 expected to be built over all.

Instead of building houses?

So if the government isn't going to actually build 
more houses, what is it offering instead.  The plan 
had four main points;  Firstly, where people are 
living in substandard private housing (and lets face 
it most of us are) local authorities will be allowed 
to refurbish and extend these houses.  However, before 
you all rush out your local county council, remember 
that in 1990 Dublin Corporation refurbished only 189 
of it's own properties never mind those in private 
hands.
The second solution on offer it " a co-op ownership 
scheme", the theory being that you buy 50% of a 
private house and the Council buys the other 50%.  
This plan would encourage the more lower income house 
holders , well that's the theory, but it's never been 
put into practice  as not even one co-op schemes has 
so far been authorised.  
Thrown in for good measure is a $3,300 mortgage 
subsidy to tenants of public housing if they buy a 
private house, though at today's house prices buying a 
lottery ticket might be a more realistic bet.

A caring government????

Ninety per cent of the cost of housing unit provided 
by voluntary organisations will be met by the 
Exchequer.  So, why you might ask, if the government 
can fund 90% of housing needs, will it not fund the 
full 100%.  If did this it would be admitting it 
had some responsibility to the homeless people, to the 
old and one-parent families.  By funding up to 90% 
it'll be reported (as it was in the Irish 
Times)Voluntary housing and co-operative housing will 
get a boost under the plan,  the Government is seen to 
help the voluntary organisations out with their 
problems, so the problem of homeless is laid at the 
feet of the voluntary agencies not being able to cope, 
rather than at the feet of the Government which has no 
intention of doing anything about it.
  
Padraig O'Flynn's idea of a joke

Additionally, in February we were also promised a new 
Housing Bill. At the moment this doesn't look much 
like it's going to appear, but if it does there's all 
sorts of things to look forward to.  For instance, 
it'll be mandatory for landlords to give rent books 
who will become entitled to four weeks notice to quit 
( at the moment your legally entitled to one week).  
This is pretty much like the way it's illegal for 
flats at the moment to be fire traps, and landlord are 
meant  to give deposits back. These rent book will 
have to by law  (now isn't that useful) 
include a substantially amount of information about 
the letting and minimum standards of accommodation. 
Your landlord meanwhile can set the cost of building 
new dwellings against tax liabilities, so at least 
somebody will gain concretely from the government 
plan.

So what's it all about

So what we have in effect is a lot of talk to disguise 
the fact that no new houses are going to be built.  In 
the mid 1984 state expenditure on housing was over 
£207 million per year.  By 1990 it had fallen to £48 
million.  In February it was reported as if it was 
some great concession that  £28 million was going to 
be spent on implementing the plan.  160 acres of city 
centre land is derelict and could be used for public 
housing. There are 5,000 actual homeless people 
(living on the streets or in hostels) in the republic 
of Ireland.

Obviously a major local authority building plan is 
needed at once.  Threshold estimate that at least 
1,000 new homes are needed per annum to stabilise the 
situation in the Dublin area alone. Much of the 
existing housing stock is in need of refurbishment.  
However government policy at the moment has lead to 
primarily office and commercial development, with 
limited private residential development at the upper 
range of the market ( how many people can afford 2 
bedroomed flats at $65,000?).  In the final analysis 
the "plan for Social Housing" is nothing more than an 
attempt to side-step and avoid the problems of 
homeless.  Remember after food, shelter is one of the 
most basic human needs, it's even guarantied by the UN 
Human Rights Charter. But then when is comes to the 
needs of the ordinary person that's capitalism, if 
it's not going to turn a profit all you'll get is 
talk.

