Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD has today introduced a Bill that provides for a referendum to insert the right to a home into the Constitution.
Teachta Ó Broin said: “The Bill I introduced today, the 39th Amendment of the Constitution (Right to a Home) Bill 2020, is very simple.
“It seeks to insert the right to appropriate and affordable housing, and an obligation to eliminate homelessness into the Constitution.
“It does not guarantee every person in the state an automatic right to a free home.
“It places an obligation on government to progressively realise the right to housing and to eliminate homelessness.
“Inserting this right into the Constitution was endorsed by 84% of the Constitutional Convention in 2014, and it is a right that exists in many other jurisdictions including Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
“The government have ignored this recommendation for five years and buried the report in the Finance Committee.
“The Programme for Government has an ambiguous commitment to hold a referendum on housing.
“This must be a referendum on a constitutional right to housing.
“While enshrining the Right to Housing in the Constitution is not a silver bullet, it would force the government to ensure that legislation and policy is proofed to ensure they reasonably protect that right
“A constitutionally protected Right to Housing alongside a major and sustained investment in public housing on public land to meet social and affordable housing need is key to ending our housing crisis.”
