Fianna Fáil General Election candidate for Mayo Cllr Lisa Chambers says securing home ownership and tackling homelessness is one of the party’s key priorities and is one of the core issues in its General Election campaign.
Cllr. Chambers commented, “Families across Mayo have been failed by this Government, which has presided over the worst housing crisis in the history of the state. According to the latest figures there are over 750 families and 1,600 children sleeping in emergency homeless accommodation nationwide. This is a shocking and shameful record. Despite all Minister Kelly’s posturing, fewer than 246 new social homes were constructed in 2015 resulting in surges in social housing waiting lists across the country. The housing list in Mayo has doubled over the past two years. There were 2,965 people on the local authority housing list in 2015 – up from 1,479 in 2013.
She continued saying, “The years 2011 to 2015 saw by far the lowest social housing construction and provision since records began in 1970. The Government’s failure to take even simple measures, such as increasing rent supplement thresholds or putting a stay on mortgage repossessions, is forcing people out of their homes in the short term.”
Outlining her parties plans Cllr Chambers said, “Fianna Fáil has put forward a clear, fully costed plan to tackle this crisis head on focusing on public, private and rental areas.” That plan includes a €5.4 billion social housing programme to build 45,000 social housing units, a new Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to take the lead on dealing with the crisis, a National Home Building Bond to finance development and a First Time Buyers Savings Scheme.
She concluded saying, “In Government, Fianna Fáil will prioritise keeping families in their homes and increasing housing supply. Our policy – set out in our ‘National Housing Roadmap’ will directly fund the construction of 45,000 social homes by 2021 and stimulate the construction of 105,000 private homes by 2021”.
