Cllr. Éilis Ryan
Councillors vote for motion based on ‘Solidarity Housing’ model
Move calls Government’s Housing Land Initiative into question
Dublin City Council last night (Monday July 25th) voted for the redevelopment of O’Devaney Gardens, in the North Inner City, as 100% public, mixed income housing. The decision by councillors to approve the motion tabled by Workers’ Party Councillor Éilis Ryan calls into question the Government’s preferred option of mixed tenure, private sector-led development of council lands.
The scheme proposed by Cllr Ryan is modelled on the Workers’ Party’s Solidarity Housing policy.
Speaking following passage of her motion, Cllr Ryan said:
“Under this scheme, all housing on the site will be built by and rented from the Council, with 50% of units rented at current rents to households on housing lists, and 50% of housing units rented to households earning above the waiting list threshold, but with demonstrated housing need. These would pay higher rents in line with their income.”
Cllr. Ryan said that the proposed scheme has significant advantages over the ‘Housing Land Initiative’, as currently proposed for Dublin City Council:
“Unlike under the Housing Land Initiative, the new 100% public model will not have different types of “social” and “private” housing, removing the stigma and division which public-private developments create.
“Secondly, the scheme provides for affordable, long-term rental as proposed under the Housing Land Initiative. But because we propose that the council would be the landlord for those on middle incomes, the council can in fact earn a surplus – rather than paying subsidies to private landlords”.