The Fórsa-backed ‘Raise the Roof’ campaign has called on an incoming government to deliver 100,000 new public homes, which is twice the number set out in the draft programme for government published earlier this week.

In a new document, Remaking Ireland: A new deal for housing, the campaign coalition also seeks an end to the sale of public land for private development, advocates fair rents and secure tenancies, and a calls for a commitment to end homelessness within the lifetime of the next government.

The initiative is backed by over 50 organisations including trade unions, housing and homelessness organisations, student bodies and others.

Remaking Ireland also calls for access to affordable housing for all essential workers who have provided invaluable services during the Covid-19 crisis.

Fórsa lead organiser Kevin Donoghue said the union’s general election campaigning had prioritised local authority-led public housing and a referendum on the right to a home. The recently-published draft programme for government includes a commitment to a referendum within five years.

“The scale of the crisis is reflected in the ambition of this new report. We can’t go back to the way things were, and that means the State must play a central role in the provision of housing. The Raise the Roof proposals seek to deliver that,” said Kevin.

National Women’s Council director Orla O’Connor highlighted the plight of women affected by the housing crisis. “The housing crisis is a women’s issue and, prior to the pandemic, we had the highest female homeless rate across Europe. We need to address this as a matter of urgency and we urge the parties engaged in government formation talks to take these proposals on board,” she said.

Read the report HERE.

Find out more about the ‘Raise the Roof’ campaign HERE.

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