SF calls for almost €1bn social housing investment
Sinn Féin's urging the government to invest nearly a billion euro in a new housing programme.
It wants to let councils have access to the Strategic Investment Fund so they can start building new homes. The party believes a €1bn investment could build 6,600 homes.
Sinn Féin's Dessie Ellis says the housing crisis demands urgent action. He said something must be done to deal with the growing numbers on council housing lists.
"This is a housing crisis - we've 89,000 people o the housing waiting list - [that] represents several hundred thousand men, women and children," he said.
"Recent figures from Focus [Ireland] says there's 5,000 people homeless, and we're having people queuing up at hotels … this is scandalous, and we need to address it."
“We need to turn back the tide on government policy which has left over 100,000 in housing need, 10,000 seeking services from homeless charities and hundreds sleeping rough. We need to provide housing and we need to start now,” he said.
