The Minister for Planning and Local Government doesn’t believe a rent freeze is necessary.
That’s despite rent levels rising by record amounts in a number of South-East counties, according to the latest data from Daft.ie
The government today announced its ‘Housing for All’ plan, which commits to spending an ‘unprecedented' €4 billion each year to deliver 33,000 homes.
“Well currently rents are linked to the Consumer Pricing Index, which is zero” said Minister Peter Burke to Beat news, who was today taking in a tour of Tipperary, where rental prices rose by a record 12.7% in the past year.
“So that is a very strong, robust safeguard for those entering into contracts that they have that certainty, that they’re not going to get sharp increases in rent.
“It’s directly linked to the CPI, and I think that’s a reasonable metric to have certainty attached for renters into the future.”
It’s as the Government’s new plan to tackle the current housing crisis has been officially unveiled today.
It will see the introduction of the shared equity scheme and will eliminate penalties associated with the fair deal scheme.
The long-awaited Housing for all plan commits to spending an unprecedented 4 billion euro each year to deliver 33 thousand homes.
It breaks down as 10,000 social homes, 4,000 affordable homes, 2,000 cost rental homes and 17,000private houses each year.
Burke feels these targets are achievable, despite past failures by the government.
“Contained within the ESRI research, they’re saying we need 33,000 units.
“We’re not far from that 33,000. We have huge investment programmes through our social building programme – 10,000 this year but that will ramp up.
“As well as trying to unlock potential in our towns and villages through our urban regeneration, which would allow the private sector to come in as well, to build homes for all citizens.”
