There is nothing affordable about a home that costs nearly half a million euro
The government is more interested in providing a subsidy to developers than making homes genuinely affordable, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan.
Deputy O’Callaghan was reacting to media reports that the government has set a price cap of up to €450,000 for affordable homes
“The Government is living on another planet if it thinks €450,000 for a home in Dublin – and €400,000 in Cork and Galway – is affordable. It simply is not.
“These inflated price caps will mean that so-called affordable homes will be out of reach for most people. The decision to introduce the ‘shared equity’ scheme, and the inclusion of these expensive homes, is more about providing subsidies for developers than homes that are genuinely affordable.
“Today’s decision will cause developers delight, but it will be a source of stress and worry for first-time buyers and young families up and down the country. We have to start putting the interests of families ahead of the interests of developers and international funds.
“No one should be saddled with this much debt to own an ordinary home. We can’t allow this to become the norm.
“There is another way. The Government could build houses on state-owned land and sell or rent these at cost. These would be truly affordable homes.
“What the Government has approved today is not an affordable housing scheme. It is a rebranding exercise which seeks to present expense housing as affordable. There is nothing affordable about a house that costs nearly half a million euro.
4 May, 2021
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