Innovations in affordable housing: lessons from not-for-profit housing developers (MUSSI Working Paper Series 10)

Social housing policy in Ireland has largely moved from the direct state provision to subsidized private rental housing in the past years. The shortage of affordable housing is one aspect of a sharp deterioration of the living condition experienced by a broad sector of the population. In Dublin, where the housing shortage is more severe, the housing crisis has challenged governments to increase social housing and tackle the current rise in family homelessness. Irish Housing associations represent the not-for-profit housing sector in Ireland. They are one of the main government partners in the provision of social housing, but it has itself also suffered with cuts in government funding. In this study, I examine the role of those not-for-profit affordable housing developers in shaping effective responses to housing affordability problems in Ireland. Taking the experience of housing associations based in Dublin, I explore their participation in delivering affordable housing and how they have achieved housing affordability goals through low-cost housing and public-private partnerships. This study concludes that there is sufficient evidence to prove that housing affordability is possible, and despite the valuable role of housing association in direct housing provision, higher rates of local authorities housing input is still needed.