VIEW, Issue 52, 2019
www.viewdigital.org
Editorial
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VIEW, an independent social affairs magazine
By guest editor Eddie Lewis, Associate Lecturer in Housing Studies at the Institute of Public Administration, and author of Social Housing Policy in Ireland: New Directions y common consent we have a housing crisis in this country. This impacts all aspects of the housing market and is seen in particular in the imbalance between the demand for and supply of housing, the affordability and housing cost issues facing many households and the rise in homelessness. Although it cannot be counted to represent the whole of the answer, the provision of social housing is at the heart of the public policy response to this crisis. But there are many unanswered questions surrounding what we mean by social housing, who should deliver it and by what means, how it should be funded, what households actually want and how the social housing stock should be protected and managed? Perhaps we should start by trying to set out our expectations. The personal challenges facing households who have become homeless, are dealing with mortgage arrears and negative equity or simply struggle to meet the cost of housing cannot be denied. We reflect on some first-hand accounts of the issues facing households today. But we also have to accept that policy change needs time to take effect. This may be of little comfort for those facing critical housing problems today. But it is the reality. There is no white knight or silver bullet, no simple change in policy that will resolve the crisis, no barrier that once removed will bring about immediate relief. It is not just a solution to the housing crisis that is needed but a way of managing the crisis, providing the time and space to prepare and implement new solutions that will be required to create a more sustainable supported housing sector. Traditionally housing policy has split between the provision of a safety net for those deemed to be in housing need – the provision of social housing and where required homeless services – and the support of home ownership through a range of grants, tax reliefs and subsidies. But this hardly describes the world we
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The personal challenges facing households who have become homeless, are dealing with mortgage arrears and negative equity or simply struggle to meet the cost of housing cannot be denied
currently live in where, according to the National Social and Economic Council, something between a quarter and a third of all households will require ongoing assistance to meet their housing costs. As a point of reference about 15 per cent of households receive social housing support today. Policy drift is bringing about change. The idea of local authority housing as residual support for those who cannot afford accommodation in the private market is giving way to the provision of rental assistance available for nearly all newly formed households. Housing associations have a growing role in the provision of social housing. A supply-driven allocation model, where the parameters were set by the time on the waiting list and the amount of Exchequer funding provided by the State, is giving way to a demand-driven and open-ended support model where the main limit is set by the availability of accommodation in the private rented sector. But these and many other changes in the way social housing support is provided are not well integrated with social and economic policy and the implications not well understood. In this issue we look at a number of key fault lines around which a new social housing policy will have to be forged. We do not advance a particular answer but invite key stakeholders to explain how they see future housing policy developing and the direction to be followed. But there is no single pathway forward and we have to be honest enough to accept that housing solutions may only have a limited shelf life. The social and economic environment, especially within a small open economy like Ireland’s, is a dynamic one. Housing policy needs to be able to respond and adapt as circumstances change. • Eddie Lewis is the author of a recent book – Social Housing Policy in Ireland – New Directions, available from the IPA.