Speaking at the launch of the party’s Alternative Budget for Housing 2023, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD has said that workers and families need a government that will deliver affordable homes. 

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“Sinn Féin will fix our broken housing system and deliver affordable housing. 

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have caused the housing crisis. Their support for vested interests and their bad policy choices are making it even worse.  

“A change of government is needed to reverse decades of bad housing policy.  

“A Sinn Féin government is needed to deliver 20,000 public homes next year to meet social and affordable housing need, to ban rent increases for all existing and new tenancies and to put a month’s rent back in every private renter’s pocket via a refundable tax credit.

“Since the current government was formed rents have increased by 15% and house prices by 20%. A new rental in Dublin is now more than €2,000 per month.

“An entire generation is locked out of home ownership. 

“The number of young people forced to live with their parents because of the high cost of housing continues to rise and is now at an all-time high of 41%.

“Despite the reality that Ireland is a wealthy country and the existence of tens of thousands of vacant properties, delivery of social and affordable housing continues to lag way behind demand as government continues to miss their targets, which are too low in the first place.

“Sinn Féin would increase the 2023 targets for social and affordable housing beyond those in the current government’s housing plan and allocate the funding necessary to deliver an additional 2,900 social homes, 2,250 affordable cost rental homes and 2,250 affordable homes for purchase above the government’s targets.

“We know that it takes time to build homes, but renters can’t wait for relief any longer. Action to reduce rents is needed now and only a Sinn Féin government would deliver this.”

Sinn Féin’s priority measures include:

• Delivery of 20,000 public homes to meet social and affordable housing need  

• Put one month’s rent back into renters’ pockets and a ban on rent increases for three years

• An emergency package of measures to reduce homelessness

• Increased funding for Traveller accommodation and implementation of the recommendations of the Expert Group on Traveller Accommodation

• A package of measures to improve housing standards

• A greater focus on reducing carbon emissions in the built environment

• 100% redress for those living with defective block and in defective buildings

• A more participative and efficient planning system 

Sinn Féin’s Alternative Budget for Housing is available to view here