Housing: Referendum urgently needed
by Mehak Dugal
 
The union’s campaigns’ director, Kevin Donoghue, said a key factor outlined in the submission was empowering the local authorities, which hold key responsibilities in managing public lands, to pursue ambitious housing policy.
The union’s campaigns’ director, Kevin Donoghue, said a key factor outlined in the submission was empowering the local authorities, which hold key responsibilities in managing public lands, to pursue ambitious housing policy.

Fórsa has called for an urgent Government commitment to a referendum on the right to housing, with a firm date for voting, in its latest submission on the issue.

 

The union, in alliance with ICTU and the Home for Good coalition, has submitted the statement to the official public consultation on a referendum on housing in Ireland.

 

Fórsa said it believes that a referendum on housing must lead to a referendum on the right to housing in the constitution.

 

“Many of our members not only work in the housing and homelessness sectors but are experiencing the emotional and economic strain of housing exclusion, homelessness, and living in inadequate, unsafe, insecure or overcrowded accommodation,” it says.

 

“Fórsa understands the importance of a home as the fundamental social and economic infrastructure of our society,” it added.

 

With 61,880 people on the public housing wait lists, 10,325 in official homelessness, and 166,000 vacant homes throughout the country, the report calls out the severe lack of progressive housing policy which empowers local authorities to produce affordable housing.

 

“A constitutional right to housing will open pathways for policy makers to assist Local Authorities in the development of more affordable homes that the people of Ireland desperately need,” it says.

 

The union’s campaigns’ director, Kevin Donoghue, said a key factor outlined in the submission was empowering the local authorities, which hold key responsibilities in managing public lands, to pursue ambitious housing policy.

 

“This is important to secure the production of high levels of public housing. Affordable housing is crucial to ending the housing crisis, and the union has maintained that throughout its submission. A right to housing will shift the responsibilities for housing and homelessness from the market, which has no obligation to provide affordable housing, to the State.

 

“This is a multigenerational emergency that will continue to sow irreparable damage on our society unless the constitution is balanced so that all levels of government are empowered to do more,” he said.

 

“The severity of the housing crisis demands that a referendum on the right to housing occurs swiftly,” added Kevin.

 

The union says the constitution in its current form is “deeply unbalanced,” leaving too many facing housing insecurity to depend on legislation that has no structure for legal support.

 

Read the full submission HERE.

 

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