solve the housing problem easily...some solutions?

Sure lots of things evolve, even for the better. I had a Netflix account when they used to post out DVDs. Imagine that now?

very noble

You might. But holding a property that’s not generating an income is truly horrendous waste of capital. Each to their own, but the vast majority would not do this…as it makes no sense in 99.9% of cases.

Why is Airbnb better?

Empty houses - bring them back into use. I know of one just off the N20 Cork-Limerick which was built as (I assume) an investment by a couple, they've never lived in it in the 15+ years since it was built and don't rent it out either. They cut the lawns and keep it tidy but otherwise it's just sat there, a large bungalow that could be a family home. No, I don't know how you can force them to rent it out either but I'm throwing the idea out there for other people to ponder.

Over-the-shop housing - once upon a time (yes, I'm that old) people lived above shops/cafes/businesses in towns. Why did that fall out of favour? It would bring life back into town centres too.

I know those are probably drops in the ocean but I still think are valid.

Yes it the asylum seekers fault 😴

The limiting factor for construction a the moment is access to labour and materials. If coucils start building themselves it will start drawign from the same labor and material pool. So insteada of competing against councils for finished houses you will be bidding against htem for the material and labour to build those houses.

Yes damn reits Building rental properties, don't they know we have soo much rental propertty in Ireland, that's why there are so many empty rental properties and rental prices are tanking..

And the developers, buiding houses., WTF do they think they are doing ??

There is absolutely nothing to stop Ireland putting a levy on mortgage rates. increasing property taxes, introducting stamp duty on homes, all the thousands of things that would have the exact same effect.. Blaming the ECB is just political cowardice.

How high do you think interest rates went in 2008 ? How low do you think they went pre 2008 ?

Interest rates started rising in June 2005 and peaked at July 2008 at 5.25% (marginal rate) which was the same as it was in August 2001. They bottomed at 3% (again Marginal rate) in 2003. By January 2009 Interest rates again hit the historically low rate of 3% and kept dropping, They have never returned to that level since and even today are 1.5% (again marginal rates)

If you want to look at the deposit rate It peaked at 3.25%, in July 2008 bottomed out at 1% in 2003 (and again in Jan 2009) and today sit at 0.75%

https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/key_ecb_interest_rates/html/index.en.html

Yeah, but renting your spare bedroom longer term to a student would help with the student accommodation problem.

i think the housing policy is not fit for purpose and creates more problems than it solves. A house should be a home, and not an investment vehicle for people who can afford to buy more. That’s not to say there is no place for rental properties in the market, but rental long term is not a solution and will lead to problems in the future as rents only rise and never end.

Here are a few things that could be done to provide houses for people.

1. Double property tax and stamp duty for any 2nd property, be it holiday home or investment, treble for 3rd and so on.If you can afford a second home, you can afford higher taxes.
2. Give any landlords selling a house to a FTBer a tax reduction on any profits made, or any losses incurred can be written off over a number of subsequent tax years, up to a maximum of say €100k
3. Launch an SSIA type savings product for FTBers giving 25% interest up to a maximum of maybe €25k for the purchase of a first property, whether new or second hand.
4. End the concept of renting or social housing. All properties should be private, ending maintenance liabilities etc on local authorities. Instead, the government should take an equity in houses purchased by low earners etc, with the option of buying out later. Also, to enable low earners buy a house, instead of HAP payments or state renting, allow householder to purchase house over longer time frames, even up to 50/100 years. When the time comes, if full value of the property is not paid, whatever portion has would pass to owners children and rest to the state, or allow the next generation to continue the mortgage. I know this may be controversial, but at least there would be an end to never ending government payments and a reduction in payments as the years go by.
5. If you are a renter then proof of rental payments over previous 30 months would entitle you to a mortgage to whatever that amount would service. If you do not have a deposit, the state could provide it and take the equivalent equity in the house up to a maximum, again say 20%, with the option of purchases back later. This would help those trapped in the rental market who cannot save but have proven they can afford that amount every month.
6. Properly plan infrastructure and encourage development by zoning areas that will be served by public services like rail, bus etc. For instance, instead of planning applications, a certain ares would be zoned for development to a certain density, and then can be built on without planning permission. Acceptable forms and designs can be pre approved, maintains character of certain ares etc. Allow reduced charges in those zoned areas like VAT and development contributions etc.
7. Encourage derelict property redevelopment especially in towns, track down owners and allow tax breaks for sellers and land value tax for holders of derelict properties
8. Allow higher densities in cities for apartments of a minimum 100 sq m, with more high rise in higher density/populated areas. Areas could be colour coded for height, i.e. red zones up to 15 stories, amber 10, green 7 or something like that. Developers can then build in those areas without the need for planning applications etc once they fulfill pre approved criteria re designs etc
9. Declare a state of emergency for a limited time to tackle the housing issues
10. Encourage system built/ factory built housing. These do not have to low standard, and if properly implemented could lead to higher spec housing. This is already done in some large apartment building at the moment, so the technology/ ability to do this does exist. The way we build houses at the moment is labour intensive and costly. Why can’t walls be wired, plumbed, insulated and plastered before they come on site

Just a few ideas to sort the problems out

Everyone is saying build but what about using what is there. Anyone follow #derelictireland on twitter? Depressing stuff. The amount of property around the country just let sitting to rot. While some buildings there is no option but to knock but many can be saved. In Cork alone there are celtic tiger estates in Carrig na Bhfear and Rochestowns left sitting to rot. Its rediculous legacy issues on those homes are still dragging our. The rochestowns house would be worth a fortune alone in todays market

https://mobile.twitter.com/frank_oconnor/status/1572853232795353088

Last week there is a similar celtic tiger houses in Mayo posted. Slap bang in the middle of Portoe village ourside Nenagh an abondoned estate must be about 20 or more house there. Last time i passed it most windows were smashed in. Again this estate is in a reasonable communte for Limerick city where there is huge employment growth in the last 10 years. Examples of how we need a serious clamp down on derlict and vacant site tax. A full review of state properties needs to be done. Plenty of old Health board dispensaries, old closed garda stations and schools around that could be converted into home. In Templemore there were a number of OPW owned garda house near the garda college that were vacant a number of years. The OPW sold them (after political pressure) to the council in the last few years and are now occupied after been retro fitted into A rated homes. They are fabulous. Can see the work done on these on Sola Energy social media pages.More of this is needed

Also a hell of a lot more needs to be done to promote over the shop living esp in our cities, these would make ideal student accomodation. Im thinking in particular the building where waterstones is in cork. Short walk to UCC or college of commerce. Im sure there are plenty of similar buildings around grafton st in dublin for Trinity students and in other towns and cities Also the purpose built student apartments noe been built have in house gyms, cinema rooms etc. No need for that at all. Space should be use for an couple of extra bedrooms instead

HAP destroyed the private rental market. Councils need to get back building houses themselves and not rely on the private market. Currently this is marking prices too expensive for the average households.

Another thing that needs to be re examined is the roll the fairdeal scheme is playing. Its ridiculous houses aound the country sitting empty coz their owner is in a nursing home. A change in this could help the rental market.

Are you telling me now that there are no property investment funds buying up housing estates?

Clearly stamp duty hasn't deterred them enough, so I think it's fair given the crisis to ban them buying them outright not de-incentivise. Although REITS buying has prob slowed with the coming rate hikes, I think a temporary ban should be welcomed.

So you think everyone should just live in apartments?

It needs a lot of things to happen.

Firstly you need China back to full production and supply chains fixed post COVID.

This will reduce inflation.

Same goes for the war in Ukraine, that has to come to a settlement.

Once inflation is down interest rates can come down a bit

Then the government have to roll back on the strict lending rules introduced post Celtic tiger crash.

Money has to be easier available to both private individuals and companies, one so that people can easier buy places and two so there is more profit for builders to insentivise them to build.

The genesis of the housing problem was the over reaction to the crash where builders could no longer afford to build and the conditions on getting credit were so tough on buyers that they could no longer buy.

There has to be a middle ground between the boom and today.

Prioritise workers over layabouts.

Move long term dole scroungers out of high demand locations, into caravans if necessary.