TOUR OF THE HABITAT WORLD SEEN BY CIVIL SOCIETY

Ireland

#Mots-clés : Dernière mise à jour le 7 June 2019
This page has been translated by ASSOAL

URBANISATION

IRELANDHistory of  Towns – Heritage

Urban Habitat

Rural Habitat

LEGAL ASPECTS

Right to lodging

In Ireland, the rights to lodging is not defined in a legal or constitutional order. Nevertheless Ireland has adopted a lodging policy so as to propose lodgings via government programs. The 1996 Law on housing brings clear bases, legislation of lodging that had been updated and recently modified by a legislation. The most important development in 2009 was the promulgation of by the Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Act that was modified to “Housing Acts” from 1966 to 2004, which took effect in July 2009.

The legislation imposes amongst other things, that authorities incharge of lodgings should take care of:

  • Providing lodging aid as to what concerns maintenance, renovation, and necessary repairs and also adopt a help plan to lodgings in their operational zones. ;
  • Propose a global development plan for the region taking into consideration the demand for lodgings through an evaluation of needs and the demand for affordable lodgings;
  • Prepare an action plan concerning lodgings so as to put into effect, its plan in the domain of services to lodging which has to be frequently examined in closed intervals;
  • Avoid excessive segregation as concerns social lodgings, develope a road map clearly defining the criteria concerning the attribution and social lodging ;
  • Totally pay the rents for the chosen periods, to providers of lodgings following a location path. (contracts of location, behavior related questions, and the drawing up of bail is also included) ;
  • Adopt a strategy to prevent and reduce anti-social behaviors in lodging parks ;
  • Adopt a plan of action for the fight against homelessness, a plan that that favors the putting in place of a control plan. ;
  • Provide financial aid to persons accepted to own lodgings to enable them buy houses in the private market following the program of affordable lodging.

There also exists legal measures and other measures put in place to be taken by the tenant before he is evicted off his property. In March 2012, a leaflet explaining the rights to social lodging was launched. Download the leaflet there are a certain number of organisms that could help the tenants, on one hand social lodging and private lodging on the other. They advise them on their rights and procedures to take when served with eviction notices.

The European convention on Human Rights is included in the legislation of Ireland since 2003. Since then, the tribunal has been receiving a certain number of important cases placed under what is known as jurisprudence (ECHR) (e.a : C. O’Donnell and others (a minor) to the committee council of Dublin (2007), O’Donnell and others against South Dublin County Council (2008), Pullen and others in Dublin City Council (2008), Donegan in Dublin City Council and others (2008), Dublin City Council and Gallager (2008)).

Ireland ratified the revised European social charter in 04/11/2000, recognizing the 92 of the 98 paragraphs of the revised charter but not article 31 which is on the rights to lodging. Ireland ratified an additional protocol of the procedure of collective complaints.

Source : FEANTSA, 2012 (1)

Forced Eviction

USEFUL TOOLS:

Land Law

Land Grabbing

USEFUL TOOLS

Vulnerable Groups

  • Joungpeople

  • Old people

  • Women

Some interesting Practice

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS

Housing Market

According to INSEE, in 2007, 77% of Irish households owned their homes (EU average = 65%).

Quality of lodgings

INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS / SLUMS / HOMELESS

ROLE OF STATE

Public Housing

Definition and situation in 2012

Although in Ireland there is not an official definition of social housing, by reference to different Housing Acts it is possible to assert that the main purpose of social housing provision is to provide appropriate and decent housing via defined providers for lower income and social disadvantaged population groups, at an affordable cost, with adequate standards as regards size, design and specifications, and also to ensure fairness in the relationship between landlords and tenants. It also includes additional social care and welfare support, particularly in special needs/sheltered housing, but also as part of community and neighbourhood enhancement. Since 2010, social housing has been expanded to social housing supports. Social housing accounts for about 8.7% of the total housing stock.

How does it work ?

The main providers of social housing are the local authorities (borough, city, county and town councils), while the approved not-for-profit, voluntary housing associations and co-operative housing societies are expanding their role owing at the moment about 18% of the social housing stock.

Social housing in Ireland is targeted directly at the poorest households. Besides income ceilings, there are additional criteria which give priority to certain groups. Such criteria include existing housing affordability difficulties; existing unfit or overcrowded housing conditions; medical or disability circumstances; homelessness; young persons leaving institutional care; the needs of the elderly and persons or families living a nomadic way of life. Demand for social housing has increased from 56,000 households in need in 2008 to 98,000 in 2011.

In future with significantly reduced capital funding for new social housing there will be greater emphasis on approved housing bodies obtaining access to loan finance either through the Housing Finance Agency or private institutions. A mixed funding model will be expanded through the leasing programme.

Source : CECODHAS Report 2012

ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS

Bibliography & Sitography

  1. FEANTSA Network

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

Video of the association “La Chaîne” : “European Coalition of Housing Rights and the Right to the City in ATHENS 21 and 22 June 2015” (Part 5)

Major Problems

Recommentions or Propositions

Non exhaustive list of active social movements

  • IRISH COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL HOUSING – ICSH = The advisory board of Ireland for social lodging offers lodgings to the old, the homeless, the vulnerable, the handicapped, and people of poor revenue. This council acting like a federation, follows up the promotion of these lodgings, represent their members, ease the communication between members, offers them information and advice. Site Internet du ICSHContact
  • DEPAUL IRELAND = A good Will organism that Works to ensure the wellbeing and positive future of the homeless and the less privileged .They have as principle to accept a person who needs to have a dynamic and flexible situation no matter where he or she is. Her activities are: Control specialized services, providing of beds for the homeless, socially accompany these persons and their families so as impact important changes based on their own personalities; provide aid to communities of the homeless. The potential valorization of the person and their responsible nature are the values of this organism – Site Internet de DEPAULContact
  • FOCUS IRELAND = an organization whose fight is against homelessness through actions of lobbying. She explores new paths to seek solutions against idleness, proposes services to the person concerned, carryout project sensitization jobs, carryout preventive missions in schools and colleges, persuading them on the importance of education.  FOCUS Web siteContact via Web site
  • SIMON COMMUNITIES OF IRELAND = an organism that carries out street jobs with the homeless. But also provides access to temporary lodging for a long term and also concerning aid to packing out. . Other services are also to propose health aid, information and the search for jobs. The objective is to create a society in which everyone has a roof, by providing quality goods and services.  Simon Communities Web siteContact
  • SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL = a non-profit making organism of a catholic faith which has as objective to provide aid to vulnerable persons, by promoting ‘self-sufficiency’. It is amongst other things the most important provider of voluntary lodgings, in partnership with social lodgings. She is member of the Social lodging council of Ireland.  St Vincent de Paul Web site  Contact.
  • HABITAT FOR HUMANITY IRELAND = A non- profit making humanitarian association whose objective is to eradicate poverty as concerns habitat as well as homelessness. In order to do this, they construct and renovate lodgings all over the world, propose micro finance loan formulas, help securing lodgings, favors affordable lodgings for all. They work with local associations inorder to build and renovate houses. Web site – Contact.
  • HABITAT FOR HUMANITY NORTHERN IRELAND = same international structure in Northern Ireland. They propose amongst other things, lodging with low energy consumption to families of poor revenue, Web siteContact.