Welfare Regimes, Housing and Homelessness in the Republic of Ireland

Abstract

Social rental housing stands in marked contrast to other social policy areas in Ireland in that it was initiated early in comparison to other European countries, was both financed and managed by the state and up until recently had only a marginal input from the non-profit sector. Although now accounting for only 7 per cent of the Irish housing stock (as a consequence of long-standing tenant purchase schemes), a clear political commitment exists to extend, co-ordinate and enhance the supply and quality of accommodation for low-income households. Irish housing policy is strongly dualist in character, with separate cost rental and profit rental sectors. The rationale for this policy has deep and complex roots, reflecting the agrarian origins of much of Irish social policy. Due in part to the ongoing political commitment to the provision of social housing and the initiation of a number of strategies to adequately fund and co-ordinate services for homeless households, the number of homeless households has stabilized in recent years. Such strategies and provision confound depictions of the Irish state embracing neo-liberalism, and highlight the difficulties of classifying the Irish welfare regime or indeed Irish housing policy within existing typologies.Social housing, welfare regime, homelessness, Ireland,

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