Soc Dems launch housing plan

Just like 2020, housing is one of the main issues on voters’ minds as they head to the polls.

The Social Democrats are looking to improve on their 2020 outing and establish themselves as the biggest party of the Irish centre-left, and the launch of their housing policy sets out how they plan to win over voters.

The party launched their housing policy in Marino on Friday with housing spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan and general election candidates Cllr Jen Cummins (Dublin South-Central) and Ross O’Mullane (Dublin South-West) also on hand to discuss the party plan for housing.

In the document, the party calls for 303,000 new homes between 2026 and 2030, with a commitment to deliver an average of 29,000 affordable rental, affordable purchase, and social homes, as well as phasing out HAP.

The party said they want to “eradicate homelessness”, and bring in protections for renters, including bringing back the ban on no-fault evictions.

A referendum that would put the right to a home in the Irish Consitution, which was also floated in 2020 by various left-wing parties (including the Greens, who had the calls for a referendum rejected by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael) has also been proposed by the Soc Dems.

O’Callaghan explained “over the past four years, the government has managed to turn a housing crisis into a housing disaster.

“Rents are at record levels, house prices are at record levels and homelessness is at record levels, while there are over half a million adults stuck living in their childhood bedrooms.”

“However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Today, the Social Democrats launched an alternative housing plan that puts availability, affordability and sustainability at its core.”

Ross O’Mullane said “too often, statistics can mask the human stories. In recent weeks I’ve spoken to hundreds of people in Dublin South-West who are affected in different ways by the housing crisis.”

“We are living in unprecedented times where young people are simply priced out of the market and cannot afford to live independent lives.

“We need to do things differently when it comes to housing, which is why people are ready for the type of change offered by the Social Democrats.”

Councillor Jen Cummins said “I live in the Tenters, originally known as Fairbrother’s Field in Dublin’s Liberties, which was one of the first public housing schemes built in the early years of the Irish State.”

“Marino, where we are launching our policy today, was developed in 1924 and continues to be a vibrant, thriving community.

“It is difficult to understand how the State was able to build thousands of high-quality, affordable homes 100 years ago, when Ireland had far less resources than it does now. There is no reason why we cannot do the same today.

“This is the level of ambition needed to tackle the housing emergency. The Social Democrats have a fully costed plan to give people renewed hope of having a place to call home.”

The party’s housing manifesto can be read here.