The ICTU and Raise the Roof recently held a conference to launch the 'Housing Ireland' report on the country's housing crisis and 'how we deliver the homes that people need'. Read more here: Housing Ireland Report.pdf The paper calls for the creation of a new semi-state body, Housing Ireland, to deliver public and affordable homes.
Speakers included Lorcan Sirr, Senior Lecturer TUD, Anne-Marie O'Reilly of Threshold, NERI's Paul Goldrick-Kelly, Toby Lloyd a UK-based housing consultant, and Dr. Aidan Regan, Associate Professor UCD.
Congress General Secretary Owen Reidy said creating a new housing semi-state would 'break the stranglehold of the private sector. We need to focus on driving house prices down'.
Michaela Kauer, Brussels of the City of Vienna presented a report on the Vienna Model of Social and Affordable Housing,' it's a city of 2 million inhabitants and about half are living in public or subsidised housing facilities'. She said 'the OECD recommends Austria's not-for-profit system as a best-practice model for affordable housing'. Some of the benefits of the Austrian affordable housing system include capped rents and rent regulation, indefinite rental contracts, and a social mix of tenants. Read more here: Vienna Housing Model M Kauer.pdf
