The Irish Independent's View: Allowing bigger garden homes is far from a solution, but it will help ease the housing crisis
Right now, we need to keep the focus on housing remedies. There are enough ill-tempered and snide rows.
After the Cabinet cleared the proposal to increase the allowance for cabins or garden homes up to a larger 45 square metres, a public consultation has been opened. The new structures must comply with building regulations and a residual 25 square metres of garden must be kept.
Real concerns about additional pressure on sewerage and water facilities can surely be addressed, as can issues of safe access.
The junior minister responsible, John Cummins, argues that his plan will provide other housing options. It can also provide options for people such as those with a disability, or young people wishing to live independently of the family home, in the short term.
It additionally has the potential to dovetail with another topic that has generated more heat than light – downsizing by older residents to free up larger homes for a new generation.
They will have to notify the local authority to ensure all accords with the new rules
Again, such moves must always be voluntary; and, while they can be part of a mix of housing-supply solutions, they are far from a panacea.
People who build these structures will have to notify the local authority to ensure all accords with the new rules. There is no doubt about the potential for family disputes on the matter, since the modular unit will remain classed as part of the main home. But a bit of good sense and goodwill can manage such matters.
Away from these details, we have to again emphasise that we must keep up the pressure to unblock the impediments to increasing housing supply. This is our only long-term hope.
The Department of Housing has this week received additional funding of nearly €700m for more social and affordable housing, among other considerations. This brings the overall additional allocation to the department to over €1.4bn for 2025 and is separate from the €40bn announced last week as part of the National Development Plan.
Some of the additional money will also go to funding second-hand acquisitions and the hitherto underfunded tenant-in-situ scheme to allow renters to buy from landlords. Vacancy and dereliction remain a blot on our urban centres and must be more vigorously addressed.
But above all, let us keep the debate focused on the main issue and drive the increase of supply.
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