Housing Ireland Chartered Institute of Housing - AUTUMN 2017
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Housing Ireland Chartered Institute of Housing AUTUMN 2017 ISSUE 12
Contents
Editorial: Let's get Ireland building 3
Regular insights
Policy: News roundup 4
Around the UK
England and Scotland 5
Wales and Northern Ireland 6
Skills and Training 7
How to: choice based lettings 8
Best practice: in-house repairs 9
Housing heroes: Jim Baneham 10
In depth
Situation critical - it's time for a state housebuilding programme, Colette Kelleher 12
Housing is a right - it must be recognised in Irish law, Niamh Randall 14
Housing in Europe - how does Ireland compare? John Perry 16
Affordable rental or cost rental - what’s the difference and why does it matter? Simon Brooke 18
Private rented policy - room for improvement, John-Mark McCafferty 20
Housing, HAPs and hubs - the crisis of family homelessness, Dr Mary P. Murphy and Dr Rory Hearne 22
Disclaimer: The views expressed by contributors in Housing Ireland are not necessarily those of the Chartered Institute of Housing,
the editor or the editorial panel and should not be taken as representative of any of the above.
2
Editorial
Let's get Ireland building
Much of this issue is dedicated to discussing what’s
Justin Cartwright needed to achieve the aims of the government’s
Editor housing and homelessness plan. The work completed
Chartered Institute of to date has been notable and it’s welcome to see the
Housing on-going commitment of resources and focus on the
single biggest issue in Ireland.
But more needs to be done to meet the scale of the
I recently conducted a poll of Housing Ireland challenges faced. An obvious area for improvement
readers to make sure the journal remains a useful tool is the low level of new-build social housing. Private
for the Irish housing sector. While a good majority rented accommodation will continue to play an
of respondents valued receiving the journal (86 per important role in providing a roof and financial
cent) and thought it was relevant to the job they do support for people in need. But if new build targets
(82 per cent), only half said they could use Housing are to be met and value for money is to be achieved
Ireland in their work. A resounding message was that in the long term, the obvious answer is a step change
readers want a shorter journal with more content for in capital subsidy realised as a social housebuilding
busy practitioners, as well as a round up of recent programme, undertaken by the state and/or the
policy developments in Ireland. community and voluntary sector.
Therefore the editorial panel and I have introduced a There are a number of approaches government
number of changes. First, the journal is now divided could take, with various available options for strategic
into two sections – regular insights, and in depth. The delivery. Whether done via local authorities, a new
‘in depth’ section contains the traditional articles but public trust and/or a new housing association,
they are now shorter in length. ‘Regular insights’ will additional building could be made more viable with
have five standard elements: the use of cost rental paid for by a version of housing
• Policy news round up – a summary of recent and assistance payment (HAP).
significant developments in Ireland Fiscal rules, delivery timescales and what is politically
• Around the UK – a flyover of developments in achievable will no doubt conspire to frustrate
Northern Ireland and Britain such approaches. But the scale of the housing and
homelessness crisis requires bold actions. And the
• Skills and training – a summary of upcoming CIH
time for action is now.
short courses and qualifications to help you in
your work
• How to – top tips in a current and relevant area of
practice
• Best practice – a showcase of a great project
being undertaken by practitioners, and
• Housing heroes – a Q&A with a CIH member.
Editorial panel:
I hope you find these changes beneficial and the Simon Brooke, Clúid Housing
journal better meets your needs. CIH wants Housing Caren Gallagher, Residential Tenancies Board
Ireland to offer relevant information to practitioners Niamh Randall, Simon Communities of Ireland
and policy makers alike, to help deliver the ambitious David Silke, Housing Agency
programme in Rebuilding Ireland. Dr Lorcan Sirr, Dublin Institute of Technology
3
Policy
News round-up
Review of Rebuilding Ireland. properties (voids) programme for void and vacant
social homes to be retuned to use. A departmental
A targeted review of the government’s Rebuilding
empty homes unit is being established, and local
Ireland action plan for housing and homelessness
authorities are designating vacant homes officers to
was announced, following the first full year of its
identify properties that can be returned to productive
implementation. The public consultation process ran
use. A vacant homes strategy is to be published in
from 21 July to 11 August – CIH has said that while
September.
it is correct that the strategy focus on the critical
supply issue, the plan must also focus on people. This Private rented sector.
includes support for housing practitioners to ensure
Maynooth and Cobh were designated as rent
a housing sector with high professional standards
pressure zones (RPZs) in March, which means 57 per
to deliver the plan’s outcomes, and also support
cent of national tenancies are now located in RPZs.
for tenants through resident engagement and
The methodology behind the Residential Tenancies
participation initiatives.
Board (RTB) rent index has been revised in order
Social housing. to monitor changes in average rents in these areas
going forward. According to the daft.ie quarter two
The housing assistance payment (HAP) scheme is
rental report, the average national asking price of
now available to eligible households in all 31 local
rent now stands at €1,159 per month representing an
authority areas. Under HAP, local authorities pay
11.8 per cent year-on-year increase.
landlords directly for private rented accommodation,
to house people previously on waiting lists. It Homelessness.
continues to be the primary delivery method for
Housing authorities helped just over 3,000 homeless
social housing outcomes. Of the 19,056 outcomes
households into independent tenancies during
delivered in 2016, 12,075 (63 per cent) were via HAP.
2016, but the government deadline to move all
The next two highest delivery methods were social
families who are homeless out of temporary hotel
homes obtained through refurbishment at 2,308 (12
accommodation by 1 July was missed. Additional
per cent), and acquisitions at 1,959 (10 per cent).
funding was provided for the family hub programme
The delivery method with the lowest share was social
for more families moving into hubs. 22 rapid build
housing new build at 665 (three per cent), which
homes were delivered in 2016, with another 175 due
will need to grow if overall delivery figures are to be
for completion in 2017. This is considerably short
raised substantially and value for money objectives
of the targeted delivery of 800 homes as outlined
are to be achieved.
in Rebuilding Ireland. A Central Statistics Office
In a recent announcement, minister Eoghan Murphy (CSO) report titled ‘Census 2016 profile 5: homeless
committed to an additional 800 new build social persons in Ireland’ was published in August, finding
housing units in 2018 bringing the total targeted that almost 7,000 people were homeless, and that
return to 3,800 units. family homelessness has risen 200 per cent since
2011. This follows departmental information showing
Vacant homes.
the highest ever level of individual, family and child
A number of initiatives to bring vacant homes homelessness.
back are underway. Additional funds were made
available to the repair and leasing scheme, which
targets vacant properties to secure them for social
housing. Funding was allocated under the vacant
4
Around the UK
England and Scotland
England Scotland
Housing white paper. A new social security system for Scotland.
In February the government published ‘Fixing our The Social Security (Scotland) Bill introduced in
broken housing market’ setting out its ideas for June sets out the high level legal framework for
solving England’s housing crisis under four broad the devolution of 11 benefits. It outlines seven
headings: building the right homes in the right key principles based on human rights, dignity and
places; building faster; widening the range of respect which are intended to underpin the new
builders and construction methods; and helping system as well as a duty to introduce and report on a
people now, including investing in new affordable social security charter.
housing and preventing homelessness. How many
Social Security (Scotland) Bill: http://bit.ly/2sP3FqA
of the proposals will be taken forward isn’t clear as
government is now focused on Brexit negotiations CIH submission: http://bit.ly/2im4ymN
and responding to the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Fixing our broken housing market: http://bit. Planning position statement.
ly/2lqPlgP The Scottish Government’s statement includes
CIH response: http://bit.ly/2gIsHnj proposals such as consideration of land taxation
and an infrastructure levy to compliment existing
developer contributions delivered through section
Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. 75 (part V equivalent).
The act received royal assent in April and will
place new legal duties on English local authorities.
Everyone who is homeless, or at risk of homelessness, Common building standards.
will have access to meaningful help, irrespective of The government has been consulting on energy
their priority need status, as long as they are eligible efficiency and building standards in the private
for assistance. rented sector with a view to aligning standards in
social and private housing. Following Grenfell, it has
CIH member briefing: http://bit.ly/2wDy8rx
also brought forward plans to consult on fire safety
standards across tenures.
5
Around the UK
Wales and Northern Ireland
Wales Northern Ireland
Abolition of right to buy.
Collapsed government.
Legislation to abolish right to buy was introduced in
The Northern Ireland Executive has been dissolved
March into the Welsh Assembly, which agreed to the
since January, as a result of a poorly-designed
general principles of the bill.
renewal heat incentive scheme. Departmental
CIH member briefing: http://bit.ly/2gCgtJ7 budgets have been cut due to special finance rules
in the absence of a government. The social housing
Committee report: http://bit.ly/2teI1sY
new build target has fallen and there are cutbacks in
housing support services. The Democratic Unionist
Housing association regulation. Party negotiated a £1.5 billion ‘confidence and
The assembly’s public affairs committee recently supply’ deal to support the Conservative minority
conducted an inquiry into the regulatory oversight government, but housing did not feature.
of housing associations. The committee made
recommendations to strengthen the voice of tenants,
increasing transparency and reporting mechanisms Welfare changes.
and attracting different skills to boards. The UK government’s controversial bedroom tax
began in February in Northern Ireland, which reduces
CIH member briefing: http://bit.ly/2eZlnzS
the housing benefit of working-age social housing
Committee report: http://bit.ly/2vHkwhr tenants if they under-occupy their home. While most
tenants receive local payments that fully top-up the
Stepping-up the response to homelessness. A reductions, further changes are planned that will
new approach to addressing homelessness was worsen housing affordability and make it less viable
adopted in 2015 which aims to provide assistance for housing associations to build new homes in
to all eligible applicants. This includes greater use of certain areas.
private rented homes and the creation of personal
CIH report: http://bit.ly/2uNGtqa
housing plans. The changes implemented have
recently been the subject of an evaluation by the
CIH comment: http://bit.ly/2ttwzef
Welsh Government.
Government interim evaluation report: http://bit.
ly/2wDUvx6
6
Skills and Training
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) is the independent voice for housing and the home of professional
standards. Our goal is simple – to provide housing professionals and their organisations with the advice, support
and knowledge they need to be brilliant. We have a number of upcoming opportunities to build on your skills
through training.
Fire safety for residential and administrative Level 3 certificate in housing practice (level 5 on the
buildings: Short course Irish framework)
Date: 18 September Qualification
Location: Housing Agency, Dublin
Date: Commencing October
Cost: CIH members €140 Non-members €150
This qualification will provide you with knowledge
This one day course will focus on the responsibilities
and understanding of key areas in delivering housing
of landlords, managers and maintenance staff in
services. It will give you an understanding of the
respect of life safety systems. The course is aimed
essential aspects of social housing service delivery,
at housing managers and owners responsible for
equality and diversity and professional practice skills.
fire safety in houses and flats in Ireland. The day
It is aimed at people working in the housing sector
will include a brief outline of relevant legislation
who want to develop their skills and knowledge or
and standards. It will focus on addressing practical
specialise in an area of housing. The programme is
aspects of roles and duties.
delivered through a combination of eight training
The course will be delivered by Paul Condron, days and independent elearning.
consulting engineer. Paul is a specialist in life safety
systems engineering and construction legislation. He
has been involved in the writing of fire detection and Level 4 certificate for the housing profession (level 6
alarm national standards since 2001. on the Irish framework)
Qualification
Estate management: Short course
Date: Commencing October
Date: 19 September
For queries on this qualification please contact Kevin
Location: Housing Agency, Dublin
Ryan at ICSH on 01 661 8334 or at kevin@icsh.ie.
Cost: CIH members €110 Non-members €120
CIH and ICSH are teaming up again to offer this
The area surrounding housing has an immense challenging and highly relevant qualification. It will
impact on how people feel about living there. give you an understanding of the essential aspects
Whether it’s fly tipping, graffiti or overgrown gardens, of housing strategy, policy, law and finance, as
rundown estates can lead to other problems such the context for providing housing management
as difficult-to-let properties. This course covers the services. It is aimed at managers, and staff preparing
important issues of estate and neighbourhood to step up to management level in the housing
management, looking at the problems in managing sector. It will also suit learners who wish to build on
estates and solutions and new methods to try to prior qualifications in housing or related areas. The
alleviate these problems. programme is delivered through a combination of six
This course will be delivered by Michael Smith, who training days and independent elearning.
has worked in the social housing sector for more
than 35 years both for local authorities and housing
associations, and for the past few years as a trainer, For queries or bookings please contact Ruth Cullen
tutor, assessor and consultant. at CIH on 048 9077 8222 or at ruth.cullen@cih.org.
7
How to:
Choice-based lettings
Local authorities were required to provide a choice 1. Identify issues and decide what you want
based lettings (CBL) service for allocations under to achieve with CBL. Clearly identify your
the Rebuilding Ireland action plan for 2016. CBL is organisation’s aim in developing CBL as an
a different approach to allocations that is designed important first step, with aims prioritised when
to place choice at the heart of lettings systems. there is more than one. Develop objectives and
Applicants in traditional direct lettings systems can targets for monitoring and evaluation. Recognise
exercise a degree of choice by refusing offers of what is practicable for CBL to achieve alone
accommodation for normal lettings, which can create and what it can achieve by working with other
a longer turnaround of voids. The critical shortage services.
of housing stock means it is vital that housing
2. Get your supporting policies and procedures
organisations reduce refusal rates to minimise
right. Have an effective void management
the length of time that properties are empty, and
process, incorporating a robust and effectual
increase transparency around their stock.
repairs and maintenance service. Ensure that
Normally under CBL a vacant property is advertised your waiting list/allocations policies are simple,
and applicants make bids to register their interest. accurate, flexible and that they maximise choice.
At the end of the bidding process, the applicant
3. Undertake staff training and development. Give
who has the highest priority under the allocations
early consideration to skillsets and build staff
policy is allocated the property. CBL puts the onus
training into project management processes.
on applicants to seek out suitable properties – rather
than the landlord targeting potential tenants – and 4. Consult and involve the right people. Consult
in doing so encourages and rewards pro-active continuously and extensively on CBL processes/
engagement. procedures and supporting policies to help your
service succeed. Involve external and internal
The benefits of CBL can include greater customer
stakeholders and get your partnership working
choice, more transparency, increased engagement
right.
and interaction between housing providers and
customers, better management of customers’ 5. Use an ICT product that meets your aims.
expectations, tackling low demand properties/ Consider the different ICT solutions available and
areas, better acceptance rates and more sustainable take full advantage of how CBL can use ICT.
neighbourhoods. CBL also offers the potential for 6. Develop the CBL service with clear processes
significant efficiencies – saving time and money. and procedures. Consider the nature of your
However it is important to get CBL right to avoid CBL service and its detailed procedures, and
adverse outcomes that go against the aims of the maximise publicity of the service.
approach. Give careful consideration to all processes, 7. Ensure equality of access for vulnerable
from identifying the issues that you want the CBL households. Maximise access to online CBL
service to address, right through to enhancing the services, assist applicants to access online CBL
service post-review. Progress will be influenced by services and maintain a direct lettings alternative
the following eight factors. for exceptional circumstances.
8. Evaluate and review. With effective monitoring
systems in place, regularly review the service to
ensure it remains fit for purpose and achieves
your aims.
This article is a summary of the forthcoming CIH
publication A guide to choice-based lettings.
8
Best practice:
In-house repairs
been unfounded and we have been able to meet
Neil Bolton all reasonable demands. By using our own direct
Director of property services labour, we have seen a number of positive spin offs
Clúid Housing – our tradespeople’s skills are constantly reviewed
and updated to carry out a wider range of repairs;
they act as eyes and ears for the organisation; they
develop trusting relationships with customers;
As someone who has worked for over 20 years in and they are passionate about their work and our
social housing repairs I am clear that traditional KPIs purpose. They are supervised by a field supervisor
and a linear focus on bottom line costs can lead to and receive back office support from schedulers
complacency about service quality and can mask and a stock management co-ordinator. The service
the true costs and dysfunction of the service. Repairs is currently managed by a repairs business manager.
services often cut across many parts of a business as We are unapologetically a direct labour organisation!
well as external contracting businesses and as such are Our first 18 months have been strong with
prone to waste, failure and hidden costs. A different exceptional customer satisfaction levels. Our bottom
sort of thinking is required to fully appreciate how line costs remain higher than the private contractors
effective a service really is. but a significant proportion of that is down to latent
Created in 2016, ‘Clúid Works’ is our answer to the demand and overhead costs. Learning is embedded
above dilemmas and is the culmination of a six year within our culture and we are confident that the
journey. In 2012 we created a national contact centre strong early performance is a strong basis for
for all customer contact. We introduced three regional continuous improvement. We are now looking at the
‘open book’ repairs contracts delivered by private possibility of rolling the service out nationally.
contractors in parallel. In 2014 ‘Vanguard’ supported us
in a whole system review of the service and following
that intervention, we began experimenting with a
radically different approach although based around an
open book approach. During 2015 we experimented
in a small area using direct labour and then established
a bigger team for 1100 homes across all of the south
east counties.
First, we had to design scheduling software for our
trade staff, stock management software for materials,
handheld technology and GPS tracking, all designed
around our live tracking needs. Our newly created
service was designed to meet a clear customer
purpose and we developed our own measures to
ensure that we were meeting this purpose.
We dispensed with a few recognisable ‘best practices’
– the biggest change was moving away from repair
priorities (emergency, urgent and routine) and setting
appointments that the customer asked for. This
approach has resulted in the level of ‘emergency’ type Why not showcase your organisation’s work and
repairs plummeting and has also had a positive impact people, and nominate for the 2018 awards? Contact
on the rate of access into properties. The fears of CIH events producer Edel Hughes on edel.hughes@
tenants being unreasonable in their requests have cih.org for more information.
9
Housing heroes
Q & A with Jim Baneham
Q: Do you think poverty and homelessness will
Jim Baneham always be with us?
Senior executive A: I believe it’s possible for our society to provide
Housing Agency everyone with a decent home. I also believe that
eliminating poverty, in terms of access to decent
housing, having adequate food, education and
healthcare, can be achieved. Homelessness often
has complex causes which confound simple solution.
Q: When and why did you first get involved in the Nevertheless, provision of a decent home is the
housing sector? foundation for recovery for anyone who becomes
A: I trained as a quantity surveyor in college. In 1992 homeless.
I joined the National Building Agency which mainly
dealt with the design and construction of social
housing schemes around the country. At the time Q: Which matters most, charity or political change?
I joined, double glazing and central heating were A: For me, political change matters most. Political
just starting to become standard features in social change has the capacity to deliver lasting and
houses. profound improvements in people’s lives.
Q: Has your understanding of housing changed Q: What would you do if all the housing we needed
since then? was built and you were no longer needed?
A: Absolutely! My initial involvement was in housing A: Work in housing management I suppose. Other
construction and the houses we build now are than that I might go back into the construction
significantly more complex than they were in 1992. industry to work on commercial projects.
Over the years I’ve learned that the housing market
is a complex system of interdependent factors, many
of which were damaged during the recession which Q: If you could offer one piece of advice to people in
have led to knock-on effects for social housing. The frontline housing roles what would it be?
housing market and industry is still re-balancing itself. A: Housing gets a lot of negative press which can
be very disheartening for people on the front line.
Value the work you are doing and take pride in it. It’s
Q: What one policy initiative would make the most important and it makes a real difference to people’s
difference to people in housing need? lives.
A: If a single initiative could make large tracts of
affordable serviced land available for housing
development in areas with housing demand, that
would make the biggest difference. State owned
lands are being made available for development
but fast paced development of private lands is also
required to meet the level of demand.
10Situation critical
It's time for a state housebuilding programme
exacerbated the situation. Between 2011 and 2016
Ireland’s population grew by 169,724 people or 3.7
Colette Kelleher
per cent. In that same period the housing stock only
Independent senator in grew by 0.4 per cent or 8,800 units. During these
Seanad Éireann and member years, when construction costs were low the state
of the civil engagement group should have built thousands of houses but it couldn’t
afford to do so in part because of the financial legacy
of the last housing crisis.
The proportion of the government's housing budget
The Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier was one of
spent on capital projects fell from 70 per cent in
the pioneers of modern architecture. In his book The
2007 to 45 per cent at present. A very large portion
Radiant City he set out a model for very high density
of the very significant current expenditure is spent
urban housing with integrated public services. He
on direct transfers to private landlords via the rental
believed this would provide residents with better
accommodation scheme and the housing assistant
living conditions and a better lifestyle – which would
payment. These vast amounts of state payments to
ultimately contribute to creating a better society.
private landlords are helping to inflate rents across
He said “on the day when contemporary society, at
the market. We need to start the critical policy shift
present so sick, has become properly aware that only
from demand side subsidies to capital expenditure
architecture and city planning can provide the exact
on bricks and mortar.
prescription for its ills, then the time will have come
for the great machine to be put in motion and begin What is becoming ever clearer is that it’s simply not
its functions… The house that can be built for modern profitable enough for the private market to provide
man (and city too), a magnificently disciplined long term secure homes for people on low incomes.
machine, can bring back the liberty of the individual At the very least the state should step in to fill that
– at present crushed out of existence - to each and void. In some countries the state has gone even
every member of society”. further. In Singapore, for example, 80 per cent of the
permanent population live in subsidised units built by
I believe we need a state housebuilding programme
the government, most of them as owner-occupiers.
to provide the liberty to all women, children and
Each year the government release a fresh batch of
men that Le Corbusier dreamt of. This programme
flats that are sold with 99 year leases. Quotas ensure
should produce at least 10,000 social houses every
that each block of flats has a diverse population.
year at an estimated cost of 1.8 billion per annum as
There are means tested grants for first time buyers
set out by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).
and cheap mortgages from the national savings
A constant and steady stream of state housing will
fund. As a result Singapore has virtually no one who
counterbalance what has become a chaotic boom
is homeless. This has been a politically very popular
and bust housing system.
policy for the centre-right People’s Action Party who
The current crisis isn’t an accident – it has been have been in government since 1959.
caused by a failure in political choices and our
In some parts of our political class there is a fear of a
housing policy. Only a shift in those choices and
new large scale public housing programme. It’s true
policy will solve the housing crisis for good. That is
that some mistakes were made in the past – poorly
why a review of Rebuilding Ireland is timely but it
planned, homogenous, low income, disconnected
needs to be radical.
communities were created in parts of Dublin and
In recent times the decisions by the state have other urban centres. In other parts however public
11housing schemes have been very successful and right to housing seminar in TCD. At that event there
are now much sought after settled communities like was huge enthusiasm for a right to housing campaign
Donnycarney in Dublin and Turners Cross in Cork. from a cross section of society from trade unions to
Public housing can be diverse, integrated, consisting employers and from students to charities.
of a mix of housing and community facilities with
A fundamental shift to more state-owned housing will
good transport links.
not just be good for our society, it will be good for
We should be brave and seek to use compulsory the economy too. According to the Cork Chamber of
purchase orders to buy up decaying urban districts Commerce Review of Rebuilding Ireland (2016) the
and transform them into vibrant urban communities. crisis in the rental sector is the number one business
Earlier this year in the Seanad I seconded the Vacant concern of 90 per cent of Cork’s largest employers.
and Derelict Sites Bill, that would have gone some They state that “as accommodation becomes more
way to sparking urban regeneration but it was unaffordable, business in Ireland suffers from
defeated by the large political parties. With 200,000 increased wage demands which negatively affect
vacant houses nationwide and villages and towns Ireland’s international competitiveness”.
dying we shouldn’t be afraid to show ambition and
The time for action is now. We need to change from
determination to revitalise our cities and towns for
demand side to supply side interventions. We need
the 21st century.
to be brave in our political choices. In Budget 2018
Moves like these have been blocked in part by a fear the government must prioritise building homes and
of infringing on the private property rights contained revamping derelict houses in our towns and villages.
in the 1937 Constitution. In my view it’s time to put We must underpin these moves with a constitutional
these anachronistic ideas up for debate. The calls right to housing. We must stop fearing public
for a right to housing are growing – in July I hosted a housing and celebrate it for what it can achieve.
12Housing is a right
It must be recognised in Irish law
People become homeless for a whole range of
Niamh Randall complex and overlapping reasons. Primary causes
are poverty, inequality and lack of affordable housing,
Head of policy and
often coupled with systems failures and individual
communications
circumstances. Many of the people the Simon
Simon Communities of Ireland
Communities work with have been disadvantaged
and isolated from a young age – the state has failed
them repeatedly.
People experiencing homelessness are often
excluded – they are overlooked, forgotten and Leilani Farha, the UN special rapporteur on the right
neglected. They are denied basic human rights and to adequate housing argues that “laws and policies
constitutional protections. Rough sleeping is a very create homelessness and then penalise homeless
visible manifestation of homelessness, but is not its people for being homeless”. If Ireland were to
only form. Homelessness can be hidden from view. enshrine the right to housing in the constitution,
It includes people living in shelters and emergency homelessness would be recognised as the failure
accommodation, people surfing from one couch of state to implement this right. This changes the
to another, people living in inadequate housing or way we as a society think about homelessness and
people at risk of homelessness because of insecure people who are homeless – instead we would see
tenancies or the threat of eviction. homelessness as a consequence of the state’s failure
to fulfil the rights of its citizens.
According to most recent figures (June 2017) there
are nearly 8,000 men, women and children living Sadly, an end to homelessness has moved out of
in emergency accommodation and the numbers sight. Our housing sector is in crisis – all elements
continue to grow. Many people who live in hotels, show signs of being broken. The private market
hostels and B&Bs are stuck there for months on end, has failed. Social housing construction has halted
sometimes years. People who are homeless are often in recent decades. Mortgage debt and rents
denied access to basic necessities such as a kitchen have spiralled. These are having devastating
where they can cook their own meals, privacy, a quiet consequences affecting the lives of hundreds
space to do homework in or an address to apply for of thousands of people in this state. Increased
jobs from. They have nowhere to bring friends and private sector supply will not affect affordability
nowhere for children to play. The stress, damage and in short/medium term. We urgently need social
trauma done are untold. A child who is homeless and affordable housing to meet different income
is more likely to become homeless or experience thresholds and it is becoming increasingly clear
housing instability again as an adult. that the private market cannot deliver the required
housing mix.
Discrimination - a cause and a consequence of
homelessness A floor of protection
Discrimination is both a cause and a consequence Housing is a fundamental right that facilitates the
of homelessness. Those who face discrimination enjoyment of many other rights including health,
on the grounds of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education, employment, privacy and family Life.
family status, mental or physical ill health or sexual Under international human rights obligations,
orientation are more likely to become homeless and, housing should be considered a human right not a
once homeless, experience additional discrimination. commodity. Homelessness therefore must be a
13clear violation of this right. Under international law, we reaffirm that all people, including those who live
to be adequately housed means having security of in rented accommodation, have the right to housing.
tenure – not having to worry about eviction or having States have a duty to ensure that their evictions do
your home taken away with very little notice. It means not render them homeless.” http://bit.ly/2vM4Vsf
having the right to live somewhere in peace and
dignity with access to appropriate services, schools,
and employment. Enshrining a right to housing in the constitution
A right to housing would not mean that everyone
would instantly receive a key to his or her own home.
International experience
Instead, it would provide a ‘floor’ in respect of access
In Scotland, there is a legal right to housing. A to basic adequate housing for all. It would oblige the
qualitative comparison of Scotland and Ireland state to reasonably protect and fulfil that right and a
(2013), by Beth Watts of the Heriot-Watt University legal mechanism for citizens to vindicate their right
in Edinburgh, shows this right to housing resulted to housing before the courts. For example, where
in people moving more quickly into permanent the gap between housing assistance payments and
accommodation. It also gave people who are market rents are so great that most people cannot
homeless an expectation of being housed. The report afford to rent a home, the right to housing would
concludes that Scotland’s legal rights appear to allow this to be constitutionally challenged.
“promote self-reliance rather more than the highly
If the right to housing were to be enshrined in our
discretionary Irish model”.
constitution then homelessness would rightly be
Across Europe, the right to housing is recognised recognised as the failure of the state to implement
in the constitutions of Belgium, Finland, Greece, the this right. This would change the way we as a society
Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden and in the think about homelessness, directing attention at
legislation of Austria, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the state’s failure to fulfil its obligations to protect
and the United Kingdom. Across the world, the right this right. It also would provide a guide and legal
to housing is included in eighty-one constitutions. safeguard against which all-state housing policy and
decision making can be measured and challenged.
On 5 July this year the UN Committee on Economic,
We must re-write the rules and fundamentally shift
Social and Cultural Rights found that Spain violated
our approach to housing. At the core of that shift,
the right to housing for a family with children, evicted
acting as an anchor, we must enshrine a constitutional
from rented housing, arguing “through our decision
right to housing in Bunreacht na hÉireann.
14Housing in Europe
How does Ireland compare?
ranks seventh from bottom of Europe’s owner-
occupation table with the UK lower still (see Figure
John Perry
1). People in Sweden are now more likely to live in
Senior policy adviser owner-occupied dwellings than those who live in
Chartered Institute of Housing Ireland. However, the range of owner-occupation
levels in Europe is still very wide. The southern
European countries had the highest ownership levels
before the EU expanded from 2004, but it’s now the
new members from central and eastern Europe that
Europe has become a continent of owner-
lead the table. Whilst just 52 per cent of Germans
occupiers. That might be the conclusion in looking
and 56 per cent of Austrians live in owner–occupied
at Mark Stephens’ article on the state of housing
housing, almost everyone (96 per cent) does so in
in Europe, in this year’s UK Housing Review (www.
Romania.
ukhousingreview.org.uk). But the real picture is more
complex, revealing some interesting comparisons Figure 1: Tenure in the EU, 2015 (below)
between Ireland and its EU neighbours.
Source: UK Housing Review 2017.
Some time ago both Ireland and the UK stood out
Note: Based on individuals, not households; data for
for their high levels of homeownership. Now, Ireland
Ireland are for 2014.
Figure 1
15Ireland moves up the rankings where only ‘outright’ not perform badly. Overcrowding mostly affects
owners are concerned (those who have paid off eastern European countries, although Austria has a
their mortgages). Ten states, including the UK, have notably high overcrowding level for one of the more
lower levels of outright ownership than Ireland. prosperous EU states, and Greece and Italy have
Oddly, the countries with the highest levels of poor scores on housing deprivation.
outright ownership are several of those from the
former socialist block, notably Romania, Croatia and
Lithuania (all above 80 per cent). This is to do with The EU has a house-price index which only begins in
both the patterns of ownership under communism, 2010, and so of course it does not reflect the peak
especially in rural areas, and the post-Communist prices that occurred before the financial crisis in
privatisation programmes in which houses and flats 2008. According to this, only in Spain did real house
were effectively given away. prices fall more quickly after 2010 than in Ireland,
by almost 40 per cent. Ireland’s prices fell by one-
Obviously, the converse of high proportions of
third, although of course they have since recovered
homeownership is high proportions of renters, and
substantially. The Netherlands and the UK saw more
Ireland ranks seventh in Europe (the UK is fourth).
modest falls but slower recoveries. Some countries
The official EU statistics don’t allow an easy split of
like Germany, Austria and Sweden have seen steady
social and private renting – partly because in some
price rises. In several eastern European countries
countries (notably Germany, where private landlords
prices remain below their 2010 levels.
get subsidy to house social tenants) the categories
overlap. However a Housing Europe chart in the UK Comparing housebuilding figures also runs into data
Housing Review gives a rough idea of how social problems. But in terms of building rates per 1,000
and private renting is split. While Ireland now has a population, Ireland was – as would be expected – well
relatively small social sector, in fact only six countries above average in 2006 but then suffered a sharp
(including the UK) have a bigger one. Leading the decline from which it has recently begun to recover.
field here are the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden. Over the period 2006-15, the UK remained the
Denmark’s quasi-social housing associations, poor man of Europe: it recorded the lowest average
although not included in the rankings, are also annual level of housebuilding among the countries
significant, housing about one in five households. for which statistics are collected.
The roles played by the social sector vary Despite the message that owner-occupation is the
considerably. While in Ireland it caters mainly for Europe’s dominant tenure, the housing scene varies
those on low incomes, in parts of northern Europe widely between countries, especially since the growth
it has a wider role and even (as in Sweden) may of the EU after 2004. Ireland remains distinct in many
exclude the poorest households. But in southern, ways – a modestly sized homeownership market,
central and eastern Europe, ‘social’ housing tends which has seen extremes of volatility perhaps only
to mean a very residualised sector for marginalised equalled by those in Spain, and a still sizeable rental
groups, quite separate (often physically as well as market in which social housing’s role diminished but
functionally) from the mainstream – a very basic is now recovering. Will housing in Ireland become
‘ambulance service’. more (or less?) like that in other northern European
countries over coming decades?
In terms of housing conditions, it is of course
difficult to get consistent, Europe-wide statistics,
but on two scores at least – overcrowding and what
is called ‘severe housing deprivation’ Ireland does
16Affordable rental or cost rental
What's the difference and why does it matter?
Affordable rental*
Simon Brooke An example will give you an idea of the households
Head of policy that affordable rental is targeting.
Clúid Housing You are a couple with a child in Dublin and you find
an apartment for rent at €1,400 per month. There is
a widely used measure of affordability which says
In a nutshell affordable rental is state-supported that if your rent costs more than about a third of your
rented housing that targets people who can’t afford net income, it’s not affordable. So in order to be able
market rents in the private rented sector, but whose to afford this apartment, you’ll need a joint gross
incomes are generally above the eligibility level for income of about €57,000 per year. But the income
social housing. limit for social housing for you is about €43,000. So
if you earn between €43,000 and €57,000 you won’t
Cost rental on the other hand describes a rent that
be eligible for social housing and you won’t be able
covers the landlord’s actual costs of providing the
to afford to rent. Of course in reality, loads of people
accommodation and doesn’t include profit. It is a
are paying more than a third of their net income on
new way of looking at rented housing provided by
housing and suffering as a consequence.
approved housing bodies or AHBs (also known as
housing associations and voluntary housing) and So the solution for this group is affordable rental,
local authorities. which is rented housing where they would pay no
more than a third of their net income.
Importantly, they are two entirely different concepts.
Almost everyone uses both affordable rental and This idea is not new – it’s been under discussion for
cost rental to mean affordable rental. Even the author several years, and was included in the government’s
of the government’s housing and homelessness housing plan Rebuilding Ireland. But seven months
plan Rebuilding Ireland didn’t really understand the later, the idea was dropped without explanation,
difference between the two, which only served to and it is planned to be replaced with a very limited
reinforce the confusion. alternative that has not yet been explained.
Neither are currently part of the Irish housing system It is possible to provide affordable rental housing
and both are extremely important, but in different with little or no state subsidy! The way you do this is
ways. Cost rental might appear to be a rather abstract to fund the housing (which would be provided by
concept, and it may not be entirely clear why anyone a housing association) with two loans, one running
should get excited about it. But it really is important, after the other. It’s similar to the funding model used
and it does matter. by housing associations in Ireland for social housing.
This keeps the repayments low so that the rents
Let’s look at them in turn.
people can actually afford would be enough to repay
the loans and cover the landlord’s other costs.
Clúid Housing and others have been promoting
this model for over two years, and the response
has been a deafening silence. Why? Why would the
government reject a scheme that provides affordable
rental for people who need it and costs little or
nothing to provide?
17So on that note of mystery, let’s move on. So cost rental is a pretty revolutionary idea,
which would be good news for tenants, housing
associations, local authorities and the state. What’s
Cost rental not to like?
The National Economic and Social Council has been As you can see, affordable rental and cost rental
promoting this for some time, initially in its report have the potential to improve the housing system to
social housing at the crossroads published in 2014. everyone’s benefit. But they operate on very different
Cost rental systems are well-established in other scales and people frequently confuse the two, which
countries such as Denmark and Austria. means that there’s a serious risk that one or both will
If you’re renting in Ireland then if you’re renting get lost in the muddle.
from a local authority or housing association you’re The review of the government’s housing plan
most likely paying an income-based ‘differential Rebuilding Ireland is due to be published in the
rent’, which is usually about 15 per cent of your net autumn. There’s an opportunity to put affordable
income. If you’re renting from a private landlord, then rental back on track and to include a specific
you’re paying a market rent, which normally covers commitment to a cost-rental model. Let’s hope this
the costs of providing the accommodation plus the opportunity is not lost.
landlord’s profit where rents exceed costs. In neither
case are you paying a cost rent.
There isn’t space here for a full discussion of cost
rental, but if it were introduced in Ireland there would
be many benefits:
• cost rent decreases in real terms over the long
term because interest rate increases are less than
inflation
• if the state subsidy is based on cost rent, then the
state subsidy will also decrease in real terms
• when a dwelling is debt free the cost rent is very
low – affordable for many people on low incomes
without any subsidy from the state
• cost rents over time will exert a downward
pressure on market rents.
This represents very good value for money for the
state. And in case you were wondering, you could
do it without ditching the differential rent system
(which would be politically near enough impossible
I’d say), essentially by expanding a version of housing *This should not be confused with ‘affordable
assistance payment to include local authority and housing’, which was a programme of housing built
housing association tenancies. This would in turn by local authorities for sale to households on middle
enable local authority housing finances to be put on incomes. This scheme was wound up in 2011.
a sustainable basis for the first time ever.
18Private rented policy
Room for improvement
• seeking accommodation (350)
John-Mark McCafferty • deposit retention (242), and
Chief executive • problems with standards and repairs (207).
Threshold Legislation aimed at providing security for tenants
remains inadequate, particularly in the context
of tenancies being allowed to be terminated,
The private rented sector has grown dramatically in sometimes in spurious circumstances. The
recent years and over one in five households across introduction of indefinite tenancies is required, as
Ireland are in the sector today. It is no longer merely are amendments to the law in order to protect the
a transient tenure – increasingly it is a sector where position of tenants where properties are being sold
people spend much or even all of their lives. It is or are being repossessed by lenders.
also the main route for many families and individuals
Rent certainty is hugely important, both for sitting
into homelessness due to tenancy terminations,
tenants and prospective tenants trying to budget
unaffordable rents for many middle to low income
for accommodation. Under the rent pressure zone
renters among other causes.
(RPZ) legislation, a new tenant can only be charged
The daft.ie rent report launched in late August, four per cent more than a previous tenant and the
which covers the second quarter of 2017, confirms landlord must explain in writing to a new tenant the
that pressure in the private rented sector continues calculations behind the rent, as it relates to the RPZ
to grow. The research indicates an almost 12 per formula. This legislation gives sitting tenants and
cent change year-on-year in the average asking rent those searching for accommodation equal rights.
nationally. There were fewer than 3,000 properties to However, we are aware that this is being flouted by
rent nationwide on 1 August 2017 according to the some landlords. A lack of enforcement is affecting
report – a 20 per cent decrease on the same date the both those searching for accommodation, as well as
previous year. The situation facing students seeking sitting tenants.
accommodation received broad media coverage
Many tenants are desperate, and those who can
at the time given the affordability issues facing this
afford the asking rent are prepared to pay without
group.
many questions to get a roof over their heads.
Threshold is a national housing charity with regional With such a shortage of supply, if legislation is not
advice centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway, providing enforced, rents will only increase in the face of such
frontline advice and tenancy protection services to desperation. This will exclude increasing numbers
people and families with housing problems. Our of low- and middle-income earners. A Residential
vision is an Ireland where everyone has access Tenancies Board-managed, publicly available and
to affordable, secure, suitable and good quality searchable rent register should be mandatory in
housing. Tenancy termination is the biggest issue for order to strengthen the RPZ legislation. The register
renters currently contacting us. The most common would record every change of rent, holding landlords
issues facing new clients to Threshold nationally to account and providing tenants with the details
between May and June of 2017 were, in descending a more transparent system with which to make an
order: informed choice.
• tenancy terminations (926 cases) Equally, the introduction of a deposit protection
• rent reviews (479) scheme is provided for in Residential Tenancies
19(Amendment) Act 2015 and needs to be incentives. This would form part of a ‘national car
commenced. The loss of a deposit can be a cause test (NCT)’ for private rented housing, integrating
of homelessness where a tenant does not have the existing commitments such as a registered
resources to provide a deposit for a new lease. The tenancy and tax compliance
provisions of the scheme should stipulate that one
• Introducing regulation to protect licensees (e.g.
month’s deposit is sufficient. This follows reports that
lodgers in a ‘rent a room’ arrangement).
a large private landlord recently sought two months’
deposit, along with the first month’s rent from new The success of private rented sector commitments
tenants. by government in Rebuilding Ireland hinge upon
tangible progress across the above measures. And
Thirdly, small scale landlords, who make up 91
the private rented sector is one of three pillars
per cent of the market, need to be kept in the
of a complex and inter-related housing system.
market. Tax reforms to sustain small scale landlords
Whatever might constitute ‘success’ in this sector
should be introduced, contingent on the provision
is as much contingent upon social housing build
of permanent, quality and affordable rental
and the delivery of wider housing, planning and
accommodation.
transport objectives as much as it is about reforms
Other measures which will ensure that the above and improvements in private rental housing. This
policies will work most effectively include: inter-dependence is recognised in Rebuilding
Ireland. Timely delivery of these policies will mean
• Ensuring local authorities have appropriate
the difference between families holding on to their
resources to carry out inspections of private
rented homes and families enduring the trauma
rented accommodation and to pursue
of homelessness with all the human, social and
enforcement proceedings
economic costs that come with any deepening or
• Providing an appropriate and secure funding prolonging of the current crisis.
framework for the delivery and promotion of
housing advice and advocacy supports, to ensure
greater awareness about tenants’ rights and
landlords’ obligations
• Increasing housing assistance payment (HAP)
and rent supplement limits to reflect market
rents, and ensuring the HAP scheme can provide
discretionary uplifts for tenants
• Developing a cost rental system of social and
affordable rental accommodation
• Establishing clear, up to date legal definitions
of both overcrowding and what constitutes a
‘landlord’ in a repossession situation
• Ensuring that an increasing proportion of private
rented stock meets a minimum acceptable
standard of energy efficiency, through a
combination of legislative obligations and
20Housing, HAPs and hubs
The crisis of family homelessness
private sector tenants, and introducing mechanisms
Dr Mary P. Murphy such as the proposal for a national housing co-
operative. This is in the context of the likely increase
Maynooth University
in repossessions of buy-to-lets and owner occupied
homes.
We find a core tension in trying to address the social
housing crisis by over-relying on the private market
Dr Rory Hearne
to deliver investment in housing, while disinvesting in
Maynooth University social housing build. The net effect works against the
housing rights of the most vulnerable in Ireland.
Investing in the right to a home is a piece of research Early signals are that the review of Rebuilding Ireland
conducted in the context of a larger European Union will reflect the core conclusion of our research –
H2020 funded research project Re-InVest (www.re- the primary method to resolve the social housing
invest.eu) . It focuses on the structural crisis of family and homelessness problem has to be state-led
homelessness in Ireland, which is a direct outcome provision of social housing by local authorities. We
of the long-term disinvestment in social housing and need nothing less than an emergency state building
the privatisation, marketisation and financialisation of programme. If the Irish state could build 9,000 social
social and private housing. We examined three key houses in 1975, they can do so in 2018.
themes: However this requires considering an alternative
• Rebuilding Ireland’s over-reliance on the private policy approach. Tempering the power of the private
rented sector to resolve the social housing deficit housing market requires ideological and practical
and homelessness crisis mind-shifts underpinned by a legislative approach to
housing rights.
• the effectiveness of the private rental subsidy –
the housing assistance payment (HAP), and Housing rights have been diminished over time as
policy shifted from traditional social housebuilding
• the emergence of family hubs (hubs) as
programmes to the greater use of rental subsidies.
emergency accommodation for families who are
From a cost perspective, direct build social housing
homeless.
presents a far greater return on state investment.
Arguing that homelessness will escalate, we
Rebuilding Ireland has had a serious fault-line in its
highlighted five strategies – prevention, building
use of HAP as the primary way to meet social housing
homes, enhancing HAP, mitigating the potential
need. Until the Residential Tenancies Act is amended
negative impacts of hubs, and addressing power
to offer effective security of tenure, we argue HAP
imbalances through a rights-based approach.
cannot ensure the right to housing. It not only fails
Prevention and early intervention are cost-effective to provide the security of tenure associated with the
policies for confronting homelessness. Reintegration right to housing – it means vulnerable families who
costs increase sharply after somebody has become are homeless are set up to fail. These families have to
homeless, and cost benefit analyses show significant cope with the impact of both aggressive competition
returns on investment in preventative measures. and discrimination in the context of a very tight
private rental market.
There are many innovative ways to prevent
homelessness. These include improving security for The reality of life in emergency homeless
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