Government must do more to repurpose derelict homes amid housing crisis – Bacik

The Government must push and empower local authorities to do more to use derelict properties to create new homes, Ivana Bacik has said.

The Labour leader also called for “people power” as she urged the public to make the authorities aware of vacant or derelict sites that could be used for accommodation but may not be officially registered.

M Bacik there was a “lack of urgency” from Government on utilising and redeveloping the sites as part of the efforts to address the housing crisis.

Launching Labour’s national vacancy and dereliction campaign, the party leader highlighted that 5,000 homes in Dublin are laying vacant at the same time as hundreds of families are registered as homeless.

She said it was “scandalous” and “galling” that almost 13,000 people were deemed homeless in the State when there was a “huge amount” of vacant and derelict homes nationwide.

“It’s obvious to anyone who walks through the city – apartment blocks lie empty with the wrapping still on mattresses, boarded up houses which could become homes for those who so desperately need it.

“It’s certainly not unique to the capital either – vacancy and dereliction is a national scandal,” she said.

“While official figures understate the true scale of the problem, we know that nearly 200,000 homes lie vacant or derelict at any one time here in Ireland.

“A scandalous 37,000 homes have lain vacant since 2016. Imagine if Government actually put some focus into bringing these properties back onto the market as 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 and not delivery.”

Ms Bacik said her party was holding a day of action on Saturday to raise awareness of vacant and derelict properties at a local level and to urge the Government to tackle the issue in the budget.

“No politician should have to be reminded about the issue of homelessness when we see the numbers of persons huddling in porches and alleys in the surrounds of Leinster House,” she said.

Ms Bacik added: “We are in the grips of the worst housing crisis in living memory. Where is the urgency to tackle this and to bring these vacant and derelict sites back into use for people and families?

“Land is a finite resource. Properties which are left vacant for a prolonged period should be compulsorily purchased and local authorities should be resourced to do so.

“Moreover, the State should leverage the institutional knowledge it has through the likes of An Post and auctioneers to ensure that the vacant and derelict sites registers are up to date.

“That’s what Labour is trying to do – we are compiling a national database of vacant and derelict sites nationwide.

“Sites cannot be allowed to stay empty, particularly when their owners allow that state of affairs to continue so that they can speculate on the value of their property.

“There needs to be a step-change in housing provision. Our population is growing but housing supply does not even meet current need. Tackling vacancy and dereliction is key to making sure that everyone has a home.

“Only ideology – not the economy – is holding us back.”

A Department of Housing spokesman said addressing vacancy and maximising the use of existing housing stock is a primary objective of government.

“Tackling vacancy is a key priority for this government and a suite of measures has been introduced to address vacancy and increase the pace at which properties are brought back into use.”

The department said this includes the Croi Canaithe Towns Fund, the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the Ready-to-Build Scheme.