Paul Murphy: Warns of Corporate Takeover of Housing Market
Paul Murphy criticised the government's housing plans as undemocratic and accused it of prioritising landlords and developers over renters. He urged renters to protest, demanded rent freezes and reductions, and called for rents to be capped at a quarter of people's income.
During the recent election campaign, he said, the government claimed 40,000 homes would be built last year while internally being told it would only be 30,000. He argued the campaign omitted mention of scrapping rent pressure zones, new tax incentives for developers, and a pivot to the private sector.
He described the measures as a "full corporate takeover" of the housing market, saying the previous government's veneer of concern for renters is gone and accusing the current government of naked class rule that throws money at the private sector despite its failure to deliver housing.
He noted that commentary about scrapping rent pressure zones sent I-RES REIT share prices up and drew delight from the Irish Property Owners Association. He also quoted the Taoiseach's reassurance that protections "will not expire until the end of the year," which he said leaves renters exposed for months.
He urged renters to take to the streets and oppose the changes, demanding an immediate freeze and reduction of rents and a cap that limits rents to a quarter of people's income. He warned of the ongoing fear of no-fault eviction and homelessness and questioned whether the only protections for renters will be removed.
Election claims and housing numbers
During the recent election campaign, he said, the government claimed 40,000 homes would be built last year while internally being told it would only be 30,000. He argued the campaign omitted mention of scrapping rent pressure zones, new tax incentives for developers, and a pivot to the private sector.
Allegations of favouring landlords and developers
He described the measures as a "full corporate takeover" of the housing market, saying the previous government's veneer of concern for renters is gone and accusing the current government of naked class rule that throws money at the private sector despite its failure to deliver housing.
Market and industry reaction
He noted that commentary about scrapping rent pressure zones sent I-RES REIT share prices up and drew delight from the Irish Property Owners Association. He also quoted the Taoiseach's reassurance that protections "will not expire until the end of the year," which he said leaves renters exposed for months.
Calls to action and policy demands
He urged renters to take to the streets and oppose the changes, demanding an immediate freeze and reduction of rents and a cap that limits rents to a quarter of people's income. He warned of the ongoing fear of no-fault eviction and homelessness and questioned whether the only protections for renters will be removed.
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Transcript
There is something profoundly undemocratic about what the government is planning to do on housing. We literally just had an election campaign. In that election campaign Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael told us that housing for all is working and evidence of that was the 40,000 homes that were going to be built last year. And the government was deliberately misleading people. They knew they had been told that it would only be 30,000. During that election campaign, where was the mention of scrapping the rent pressure zones? Where was the mention of the new tax incentives for developers? Where was the mention of the pivot to the private sector, which we are now told is the new key to resolving the crisis? But once the election is out of the way, what we see is really shock and awe for a full corporate takeover of the housing market. The last government, to be clear, was a government of landlord, by landlord, for landlord, but with a veneer of concern for the needs of renters, people who want to buy a home, for those who are suffering homelessness. With this government, that veneer is gone. The biggest landlord in this stall is now a minister in the government. The second biggest landlord is the minister in this government. It is absolutely naked class rule for the landlords, the big corporate, developers and so on. Fundamentalist, ideological, in terms of throwing money at the private sector, throwing money at it regardless of the fact that it does not deliver housing and has not. It is time, after more than a decade of failure to address the housing crisis, to conclude that the government does not want to address the housing crisis. The government wants to deepen the housing crisis so those who they represent can get even richer. That is why, when Micheál Martin said we are moving towards scrapping the rent pressure zone, the I-RES REIT share prices went through the roof. The Irish Property Owners Association declared themselves delighted. Well, no wonder. But don't worry, the Taoiseach said, they will not expire until the end of the year. We have loads of time to talk about how we can best incentivise landlords and property developers. Talk about being completely insulated from the reality of what it is to rent. For renters with the constant fear of no-fault eviction, of homelessness, then putting this on them to worry about for the next 11 months. Will the only protection for renters be taken away? Renters need to take to the streets, wipe the smile off their face and go in the opposite direction. Freeze and reduce rents to make them affordable. Cap rents at a quarter of people's income. That is the only sort of change that we will accept.