Labour Calls For Large Scale Investment In Public Housing

The government has been criticised for not making the large scale investment in public housing needed to cease the flow of families from the private rented sector into homelessness.

Making the call, Labour Housing Spokesperson, Jan O'Sullivan, said: "This government is unable to tackle this crisis. CSO figures published this week show that while the number of homes being built, many of them in the private sector, is up. However, we need only look at the homelessness figures to know that there is not nearly enough public housing being built.

"All the CSO figures show is a good quarter for developers. Homelessness, both long term and short term, will not be solved by the construction of private homes only. Especially if these homes are not within the reach of young families or single people looking to buy.

"Minister English today was again on national radio talking about supply, but Fine Gael seem to have scant concern for what type of supply we are getting. It seems to have eluded the Minister that increase in supply in the private sector does not address our public housing shortage.

"This weekend the Raise the Roof campaign is again taking to the streets. I am proud that the Labour Party is a member of the Raise the Roof campaign and I am encouraging as many people who can to go out in support of the campaign.

"The Labour Party has supported Raise the Roof both within the Dáil Chamber and through activists on the ground. The campaign's demands are the kind of ambitious targets we need to have as a country if we want to bring an end to the scourge of homelessness.

"My bill designed to tackle family homelessness is also needed to end the practice of evicting families into homelessness. Labour wants to see 80,000 homes built over five years which can be delivered for €16 billion."