I guess with big social housing waiting lists throwing money at the problem and bulk buying makes for an attractive short term fix.Co-Operative Housing Ireland’s acquisition is being supported by Wicklow County Council with funding provided by the Housing Finance Agency and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
All 208 units will be used to accommodate households currently on Wicklow County Council’s housing waiting list. Co-operative Housing Ireland will own and manage the development.
But I thought we moved away from the models of entire estates of social housing to try and stop ghettoisation?
That's how the taxpayer ended up paying through the nose for social housing, 500k, 600k, 700k and even 800k plus.
And some people find it tough that middle class folk are busting their balls to pay big mortgages on exactly the same property that the unemployed neighbours get for next to nothing.
But the argument that building cheap social housing en masse promotes social inequality and further deprivation means this new model is worth pursuing.
All sounds well in theory.
Except we've come full circle and new recipients of social housing will once again be in entire estates of social housing.
It remains to be seen if providing very expensive social housing en masse will also promote social inequality and further deprivation and these developments will turn into ghettos.
Meanwhile the employed FTBers have no option but to pay ever increasing market rents and the whole vicious circle continues:
rents increase > more people cannot afford rents > more people require housing assistance > government pump more money into market > rents increase
etc etc.
It's completely insane.