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Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Ireland is overdependent on apartment development
Ireland is making its housing crisis worse by persisting with housing density policies which, in practice, mean that most new urban housing units are apartments or semi-detached homes. These cost too much to be suitable as standard starter homes for small households. Last autumn, a report on development costs in the Greater Dublin area, prepared for the Department of Housing by Mitchell McDermott , put total costs per square metre at €4,100 for a semi and between €6,040 and €6,500 for an apartment. If we assume cost per square metre for other types of conventional house is similar to that for semis, a two-bedroom, 80 square metre apartment would cost €150,000 to €190,000 more than a terrace house of the same size. On the same assumption, a typical three-bedroom semi with 35 square metres more floor space than a two-bedroom house would cost €140,000 more. We have been locked into over-dependence on apartments and semis by national housing density policies since 2009, and by the way builders react to them. Current (2024) policies require most new suburban housing estates to have a density of 40-80 units per hectare in Dublin and Cork, and 35-50 in the other cities. READ MORE Semis are profitable and reliable sellers, but they are typically built at around 25 per hectare, so they need to be combined with a higher-density component to comply. If this is in apartment blocks, the proportion of the site they occupy is minimised, leaving more of it available for semis. First-time buyers would be conscious of how much help they were getting, encouraging builders to compete on price Apartments have an important role on substantial brownfield or infill sites in inner city and inner suburban areas, or close to high quality, high frequency public transport. But expecting apartment output to expand in line with the doubling of housing output to the 50,000 or 60,000 units a year currently needed is unrealistic. Market demand for new apartments is largely limited to well-paid young professionals who are happy to rent. Unless very well-located and designed, they are not good value for money for owner-occupiers, and may not even be viable. These limitations can be overcome by generous State subsidies or if they are bought outright for social housing, but increasing the scale of this support in line with projected need is unlikely to be sustainable. Successive governments have backed apartment development by or for international investors to fund the required volume of new housing, as well as to promote compact city objectives, but have been slow to recognise its volatility and unreliability. After apartment completions rose from 5,100 in 2021 to 11,500 in 2023, the abrupt drop to 8,700 in 2024 was treated as an unforeseeable disaster, rather than the natural consequence of the four percentage point increase in interest rates between July 2022 and September 2023. If, as claimed, apartment output will only recover if the rental cap is removed at a time when average rents are already €2,000 a month and there is freedom to set initial rents above this, such investors are clearly difficult to satisfy. We have been locked into over-dependence on apartments and semis by national housing density policies since 2009, and by the way builders react to them Favourable market conditions for increased apartment construction may return and we should take advantage of them if they do. However, it is unwise to treat a permanently high level of apartment output as a 'must have', because it implies the State will rescue those who pay more for apartment sites than can be recovered by developing them and selling on the open market – a speculator's guarantee. Housing guidelines should be revised to reflect construction cost realities. One quick way of doing this would be to allow local authorities amend their development plans, so small terrace houses count for more per unit than apartments in density calculations, in locations they consider appropriate. Weighting could reassure developers that substituting terrace houses for apartments as the higher density component on a suburban site need not reduce the number of semis on the rest of it. Households often outgrow two-bedroom units, whether in apartment or house form, or find storage space in them inadequate, but this is easier to remedy in a house, providing it has a pitched roof supported by purlins rather than conventional trusses, and is designed to allow future conversion of the attic for living space or easily accessed storage. Extendability could be incorporated into a weighting system, so an extendable house of, say, 65-90 square metres was the equivalent of 1½ or 1¾ apartments. Terrace houses would be easier to market if extendable. The lower cost involved in terrace houses would be a necessary condition for lower prices and rents, but not a sufficient one. In the current sellers' market, lower costs might merely increase profit margins. However, there several ways in which this risk could be reduced. Firstly, where the State or a local authority is the developer, they control prices, and can pass on savings to occupiers of cost rental, shared equity or other affordable housing. Their housing outlays should go further, if more are spent on terrace houses. Secondly, the revision of the Help to Buy scheme promised in the Programme for Government could inversely relate the 'help' to unit size and cost, so it benefits smaller, lower cost units most, and tapers off as these increase. First-time buyers would be conscious of how much help they were getting, encouraging builders to compete on price. Favourable market conditions for increased apartment construction may return and we should take advantage of them if they do Thirdly, the Land Development Agency (LDA) could help finance lower cost housing by allowing small builders to develop on its land under licence, paying for sites as houses were sold. Target sale prices for their houses could be agreed, with surcharges on site prices if sale prices were higher, and rebates if lower. This approach would be less dependent on international investment funds. On the supply side, average unit costs would be lower, so overall financial needs would be less. More small builders would also develop if they did not have to come up with land costs upfront. On the demand side, the borrowing capacity of households which could afford a new terrace house, but not the extra €150,000 needed for a new apartment or semi, would be mobilised. Nicholas Mansergh was a senior planner with Cork County Council until his retirement in 2015, and lectures on planning in UCC. He is the author of The Irish Construction 1970-2023: Policies and Escape Routes, published by Eastwood Books in 2024.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NYC proposal would transform Floyd Bennett Field into a community to house cops, firefighters, EMS
It takes a village to house real heroes. A Brooklyn Law School grad wants to transform the 130-acre, federally-owned Floyd Bennett Field into 'Hero Village' — a 20,000 unit -community for city cops, firefighters and other emergency workers. Noah Martz was inspired to draw up the master plan for the development, where he said every street would bear the name of a fallen first responder, after seeing how prohibitively expensive city real estate had become for working class people. 'New York City is becoming increasingly unaffordable and it's especially hitting the men and women who serve New York,' Martz, 26, told The Post. 'They're not able to live in New York City anymore.' The plan, which Martz posted on his X account earlier this month, resembles a small town complete with stores and a rail line linking the proposed community to the city's subway system. The design is 'inspired by President Trump's vision to build beautifully again,' Hero Village's promotional video states. 'Mr. President, it's time for New York to truly back the blue,' the video concludes. Hero Village would include a monument to honor those killed in the line of duty, said Martz In March, the head of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a joint task force to unlock federal land for residential development. Martz, who graduated law school last week, is hoping they'll consider FBF 'as a candidate.' 'So it would be up to the federal government looking at this proposal and agreeing with it and then it will probably require collaboration with the state or city,' he said. Bringing the project to life on the flood-prone site that, until January, was home to a controversial migrant shelter, would be no small feat. So far no politicians have publicly taken an interest, but Martz is hoping to catch President Trump's eye, referencing the commander in chief in a promotional video. The White House didn't return an email asking if they'd support the plan. Floyd Bennett Field is run by the National Park Service, which also didn't return a message. Martz has been flooded with queries from interested city workers, he said. 'I've been getting tons of emails from current firefighters and paramedics and NYPD officers asking if they can sign up on the waitlist or when this project is happening,' Martz said. 'So there's definitely tons of interest to live in the community.' He's also getting criticism from 'cop haters,' he said. 'I've been definitely hearing negative reactions, especially online, like 'Why do cops deserve housing?' Anyone who's anti-cop, anti-EMT or anti-firefighter,' he said. 'I don't get it, but there's always going to be hate online from that type of people.' The architecture of the proposed village was inspired by Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill, during his time in law school. 'When I was designing Hero Village, I wanted to make sure it would be a safe and comfortable place for families,' he said. 'So I didn't really want to build this mega-structures you see in Manhattan.' It's not the first time someone has proposed a development for police officers. 'They've been talking about a 'Cop City' since I came on the job,' a retired NYPD detective said. 'Can't see it.' Added a longtime police union consultant: 'That's a nice idea if you live in outer space. But it's never going to happen here. Can you imagine cops living at Floyd Bennett Field?' Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola (R-Queens), who represents much of the Rockaways across the nearby Marine Parkway Bridge said: 'In theory, this is a great idea. We absolutely should be looking out for our heroes. The location, however — not so much.' 'The area is prone to flooding, and the kind of development proposed would leave people constantly swamped. It's also pretty isolated, and something like the Cybertrain mentioned [in the plan] would be an enormous undertaking on its own. Bottom line, nice idea, but completely unrealistic.' Neither the White House nor the National Park Service, which operates the site, returned a request for comment. Additional reporting by Rich Calder.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on public sector reform: defining the powers of a tsar
The secretary general of the Department of Housing, Graham Doyle, caused something of a stir at a housing conference this week when he said that the State does not need a ' housing tsar' – the moniker given by the media to the person who will head a new office to try to accelerate housing provision. This idea is, of course, part of Government housing policy and the Minster for Housing, James Browne, has been trying to fill the post. A statement issued by the Department of Housing later the same evening said that Doyle had emphasised that the new Housing Activation Office (HAO) will have a chief executive with ' an interventionist' approach, but not a tsar ' and the connotations that word evokes.' Predictably the media was given the blame for the 'tsar' title, which we were told was 'misleading and not reflective of the real intent and purpose of the HAO.' Words are important here. The primary dictionary definition of a tsar obviously relates back to Russian history, but it can also refer to a person given power by a Government to deal with a particular issue. So what power will the head of the new office actually have? It is clear that the Department sees the HAO role as under its aegis, rather than the independent executive recommended in the report of the Housing Commission. Clearly the Minister, reporting to the Government, is ultimately responsible for this. He needs to make it clear how the incumbent will relate to his and other government departments and groups in the area, of which there are now a few new additions? READ MORE Clarity and accountability is vital. We have seen in other cases, such as the recent revelations surrounding Children's Health Ireland, how blurred lines can lead to a lack of transparency and questions over who is responsible. The housing secretary general is no doubt correct to observe that just knocking a few heads together is not going to solve the housing problem. But it may still be needed, particularly to sort out who exactly is responsible for what in the complicated structures now in place.
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Renovation of social home in Blackrock cost local council €200,000 to bring back into use
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council spent more than €200,000 bringing a vacant social home in Blackrock, south Dublin back into use last year. The local authority said it spent €503,142 on 'three major refurbishment properties' to re-let in 2024. This included the property in Blackrock, which was built in 1957 and had the same tenant for 63 years. A unit in Glasthule, built in 1934 with the same tenant for 39 years, cost €146,414. The other property was in Dún Laoghaire, constructed in 1932, had same tenant for 49 years, and cost €138,581. 'They were all major refurbishments due to the condition of the properties when they were handed back to the Council,' a spokeswoman for the council said. READ MORE 'One required an existing extension to be demolished and rebuilt, all required works such as electrical rewiring upgrade works, energy upgrades works, insulation works, external roof works, full new kitchen installations and replastering of internal roofs and walls.' [ Intimidation in a Dublin suburb, and the derelict house being used as stables Opens in new window ] The Department of Housing and Local Government said it is committed to supporting local authorities implementing an asset management ICT (information and communications technology) system to allow for 'strategic and informed planned maintenance work programmes' supported by stock condition surveys. 'This approach will ensure that homes are maintained on an ongoing basis and not only maintained at the time of vacancy in some cases after a significant period of time,' it said. 'This will result in less works required on re-let, less costs associated and ensure homes are turned around as quick as possible.' The Programme for Government commits to introducing a new voids programme, to implement long-term strategic reforms and mandate local authorities to establish voids frameworks to improve the turnaround of vacant social housing units. However, the Department said there is 'no set time frame in place' for the new programme. Void is the term given to when tenants vacate houses or flats, either transferring to somewhere more suitable or leaving to purchase their own property. The death of a tenant or a marital breakdown can also result in a void unit. [ Elderly residents of Dublin 8 complex still feel 'unsafe' despite installation of security gate Opens in new window ] Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, which covers Blackrock, Dundrum, Dún Laoghaire, Sandyford, Killiney, Shankill and Stillorgan, said it re-tenanted 111 properties last year as part of what it would consider to be 'normal re-let processes'. The average cost per property was €31,190. 'The length of time a property remains vacant depends on the condition of the property when it is returned to the council and the amount of information required to complete the allocation process,' it added. 'Every effort is being made to ensure properties are tenanted as quickly as possible. In 2025, re-let works have been completed on 39 properties to date at an average cost of €17,580.' The council's average re-let time for vacant properties in 2023 was 23 weeks. Dublin City Council said the average cost of refurbishing void units in 2024 was €44,000. It said when a unit becomes vacant it allows two weeks for tenants to remove any personal belongings, a 10- to 16-week period to revamp the property as well as a two-week period to allow a new tenant to inspect the property and move in. Fingal County Council said it refurbished and brought back into use 79 voids, excluding energy efficiency retrofit works, at a total cost of €1.7 million (or an average of €21,519 per unit). The average re-let period was 33 weeks. South Dublin County Council said it allocated 184 re-let properties at an average turnaround time of 20.64 weeks last year. Taoiseach Micheál Martin hit out at local authorities for the delay in releasing vacated properties to those on waiting lists in the Dáil last month. Mr Martin said local authorities take 'too long to release a home that has been vacated'. 'It can take sometimes months or a year for the local authority fill the same house again, and they cite all sorts of reasons, and it's not good enough,' he said. 'And now they're looking for more and more grants to fill those voids.' He said those homes 'should be filled fairly quickly, within a week or two of a house being vacated, unless there's some structural issue' but added that the majority of cases did not involve structural issues.
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Progress on regeneration of Dublin city centre flat complex stalled by queries on costs
The Department of Housing has asked Dublin City Council (DCC) to ensure that regeneration plans for the flat complex at Glovers Court are 'viable' and represent 'good value for money', residents have been told. Under current proposals, the complex's 38 flats, located on York Street, Dublin 2, will be turned into 53 new homes. There will be a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Glovers Court was built in 1976 off Aungier Street, close to the back of St Stephen's Green shopping centre. In a letter to residents in recent days, seen by The Irish Times, the council said it had submitted a stage-two funding and project approval submission to the department last October with 'regular communication' in relation to it since then. READ MORE 'While they [the department] are happy with the proposals for the new Glovers Court, they have additional queries on the costs and asked that we review these to ensure that the project is viable and represents good value for money,' the letter said. 'Our project team have been working on a revised submission to respond to the queries, and we are due to update our submission proposals in the coming weeks.' The local authority said that subject to approval of its revised stage two-submission, it will proceed with lodging its planning application later this year. The department said it raised 'a number of concerns' to DCC regarding the overall design strategy from a 'value-for-money perspective' and highlighted the need for a full structural assessment. It is expected that a revised funding application will be submitted by the council to the department in July, it said. 'The department welcomes the work being completed by Dublin City Council on their regeneration projects and continues to work closely with the council to progress these schemes,' a department spokesman said. The correspondence comes as the department rejected the first phase of the council's long-planned redevelopment of Pearse House, off Pearse Street in the city centre, in recent months. Council officials had submitted plans to amalgamate 78 flats into 44 new units. The department said at the time it was 'not in a position to support proposals that would result in a significant loss of homes'. The council announced seven years ago plans to regenerate more than 6,000 of the city's oldest and most dilapidated flats under a 15-year plan to raise social housing standards across the city. More than 100 flat complexes were to be included in the programme, all of which were more than 40 years old. Some date back to the 1930s. Most of the 109 complexes did not meet current building standards regarding accessibility, fire safety and building quality, while a significant number had mould, condensation and sewage problems. The present proposal for Glovers Court is to retain the existing housing blocks and redesign them to provide for 'new, larger, warmer and energy-efficient homes'. The plans include placing an additional block at the York Street side and adding an additional floor on the Mercer Street side of the building. City councillor Mannix Flynn said he would have preferred if the complex was completely demolished and rebuilt. The Independent politician described conditions in the flats as 'appalling', saying residents were 'often actively spending most of their time out of the place'.
