Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD has said that the housing crisis “will continue as Budget 2020 ignores renters, social housing applicants and those in need of affordable housing”.

Deputy Ó Broin said:

“Budget 2020 is a status quo budget. Given that the status quo in housing is an escalating crisis, the budget means that the housing emergency will continue into 2020.

“Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil’s budget ignores renters, social housing applicants and those in need of social housing.

“Just 8,500 real social housing homes will be delivered in 2020. Four years into Rebuilding Ireland and Government has still not met the key target of 10,000 real social homes recommended by the 2016 Dáil Housing and Homeless Committee Report.

“Meanwhile, the Government continues to pump taxpayers’ money into subsidising social housing tenants in the private rental sector.

“The Government has committed to creating 19,000 new subsidised rental tenancies in 2020 at a cost of over €800m. 

“This will dramatically increase demand in the rental market pushing up prices and locking out an even greater number of renters not eligible for social housing support. 

“Indeed renters can feel particularly aggrieved as the Government has done nothing to reduce the cost of rents or to protect tenants from further rent increases.

“There is no additional investment in affordable rental or purchase homes above what was announced last year.

“Given that this Government has done nothing to speed up the delivery of public housing, none of these homes will be delivered until 2021 or 2022 at the earliest.

“The Help to Buy scheme isn’t helping the first-time buyers who need it most. A report by the Parliamentary Budget office supports this with over 40% those approved to date needing no help with a deposit. Yet, the Government has seen fit to spend €100m next year.

“Housing is the single biggest issue of public concern according to recent opinion polls. This Government has ignored the needs of renters, those on social housing waiting lists and those in need of affordable homes.

“Sinn Féin’s alternative housing budget would have invested an additional €1bn in public housing to deliver 17,000 social, affordable rental and affordable purchase homes and introduced a rent freeze and refundable tax credit for renters.

“This would have given workers and families a real break. Instead, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael chose to ignore these people in a budget without ambition, ideas or much needed investment.”