Calls for private financiers to fund social housing crisis
The Government is being urged to do more to make affordable housing available, including sourcing private finance.
The Environment Minister Alan Kelly and Housing Minister Paudie Coffey will today outline the government's new social housing strategy, with plans to build around 35,000 new social housing units.
It follows a spike in the number of individuals and families who are homeless - or at risk of homelessness.
The Irish Council for Social Housing said the Government should try to attract private investors into the sector, which it says has helped to alleviate the problem in other countries.
"I think going forward, what we're looking for is investors to provide finance to the social housing sector," said ICSH Director Donal McManus.
"It's very typical in other countries where private investors - whether it's banks, financial bodies, or even pension funds - supply private finance for social housing."
"We would see that element … being key to delivery going forward. And there is, already, interest [in it]."
Meanwhile, ahead of the launch, the government's been warned many families in Ireland will have "little chance" of buying their own home in the future.
It has come from the National Economic and Social Council, in a report compiled for the Taoiseach.
It expects that people from a range of social classes will find it "difficult if not impossible" to buy homes.
The advice was considered at yesterday's cabinet meeting, ahead of full publication in the coming weeks.
