In the last ten years of the Fianna Fail government – the price of buying a house has increased by 350% while the actual cost of building a house has increased by only 50%.
What the Socialist Party says:
• Everybody has the right to a quality affordable home to rent or to buy
• For regulation of the private rented sector to ensure tenant rights, good standards and rent controls
• Scrap the massive state subsidy to private landlords through the Rent Allowance Scheme and use the resources to end the local authority housing waiting lists through an emergency state building programme to provide quality social housing for the 45,000 families on the waiting lists within the next 2 years.
• For significant state investment to maintain and refurbish all local authority housing to a high standard, including the provision of additional educational and community facilities.
• For emergency state investment to provide homes and all other necessary services for all those who are homeless immediately.
End profiteering in the property market
• For legislation to make house prices reflect the real cost of building. Scrap the Stamp Duty.
• Outlaw speculation in land and property – for a 100% tax on major speculative deals.
• End the estate management company rip-off. Force builders to fully finish estates on time and council to take responsibility for essential utilities immediately.
• Stop profiteering. No 30 or 40 year mortgages where people pay the banks two or three times the cost of the house.
• For the democratic public ownership of the banks and use the resources to provide cheap loans and to build the homes and infrastructure we require.
The state must provide for peoples housing needs
• Compulsory purchase of land by local authorities at agricultural prices to build up land banks for housing with compensation only on the basis of proven need.
• End the reliance on private construction companies. Reform the shared and affordable housing schemes so homes are affordable and all on lower incomes can participate with the state providing cheap loans.
• Re-establish local authority and state direct labour construction units where house prices, standards and working conditions can be guaranteed.
• For a massive state building programme to develop a public housing stock of quality, energy efficient homes, well serviced by public transport, shopping and recreational facilities, for all who need them.
