Why is the Government leaving homes vacant in a housing crisis?

To have one vacant home in the middle of a housing crisis is outrageous.

Labour will end the scandal of vacant homes, but we need your help to do it.

We have record budget figures but too many people are struggling to find a place to live.

Now is the time for ambition. Now is the time to tackle the scourge of dereliction and vacancy head on.

Housing for All has proven to be housing for some, doing little for a generation which feels as though the dream of owning their own home will never become a reality.

Labour want to build affordable homes and build an Ireland that works for all.

 

This Government’s housing strategy has failed.

We need urgent action to tackle dereliction and bring vacant homes back into use. We in Labour have a plan to increase housing supply, reinvigorate our urban centres, and meet our climate targets.

 

Vacant Homes

As in many aspects of this Government’s record on housing, the approach to vacancy and dereliction has been abysmal. It has been marked by short-termism – not effective action.

Even the Government doesn’t know the true scale of empty homes nationwide. The numbers vary depending on what source you use.

While 57,206 properties are vacant according to Local Property Tax returns, census estimates are much higher at 166,752 – that doesn’t include the 66,135 seasonal holiday homes.

These are homes that could be easily returned to communities to be developed as local amenities and public housing.

Local authorities must also be given the teeth, funding and resources needed to get to grips with this vacancy crisis.

We cannot afford to let valuable spaces remain dormant while our communities face housing shortages and lack essential spaces for communal development.

Let us know about any derelict or vacant homes in your area here