Abstract
Social housing policy in Ireland has largely moved from the direct state provision to subsidized private rental housing in the past years. The shortage of affordable housing is one aspect of a sharp deterioration of the living condition experienced by a broad sector of the population. In Dublin, where the housing shortage is more severe, the housing crisis has challenged governments to increase social housing and tackle the current rise in family homelessness. Irish Housing associations represent the not-for-profit housing sector in Ireland. They are one of the main government partners in the provision of social housing, but it has itself also suffered with cuts in government funding. In this chapter, the author examines the role of those not-for-profit affordable housing developers in shaping effective responses to housing affordability problems in Ireland. Taking the experience of housing associations based in Dublin, the she explores their participation in delivering affordable housing and how they have achieved housing affordability goals through low-cost housing and public-private partnerships. This chapter concludes that there is sufficient evidence to prove that housing affordability is possible, and despite the valuable role of housing association in direct housing provision, higher rates of local authorities housing input is still needed.
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Notes
- 1.
In the third quarter of 2018 In Dublin, the average house price was €365,000, and the average national income of €38,496.
- 2.
NAMA is Ireland’s National Asset Management Agency, set up in 2009 to acquire property loans from banks. Ninety percent of NAMA sales of distressed loans were made to US-based hedge funds firms in 2013 (O’Callaghan et al. 2018).
- 3.
The Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) and Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) provide capital funding to housing association to meet the cost of constructing units of accommodation.
- 4.
As part of my research on housing mobilization in the post-crisis context, financed by the Irish Research Council, I interviewed several activists and representatives of housing association about the impact of austerity measures on housing policies. Interview conducted in January 2019 in Dublin.
- 5.
Small housing associations are more dependent on state funding, and they encompass the majority of the AHB in Ireland. Most of its staff are volunteers and those small entities provide houses in small and scattered projects, attending to specific social groups (such elderly people and people with disabilities).
- 6.
See article at: https://www.thejournal.ie/ulster-bank-vulture-find-4210181-Aug2018/. Accessed 6 August 2019.
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Lima, V. (2020). Innovations in Affordable Housing in Dublin: Lessons from Not-for-Profit Housing Developers. In: van Montfort, C., Michels, A. (eds) Partnerships for Livable Cities. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40060-6_7
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