Could your local city or regional council build its own housing? Why would it want to?
One compelling argument is that, when it comes to truly affordable housing, it may be able to do so for as little as half the cost which it incurs by farming out the task to private enterprise. If your council, like it or not, is financially tasked in some way to assist those with low or no incomes to avoid homelessness, then “half-price” has to sound like quite a bargain.
Come on! How real is this?
Well, Ireland is going through a phase when it is becoming increasingly fed up with the poor ratio between promise and product that it’s receiving when it gets into bed with the private housing industry.
“But we haven’t the skills to do it ourselves!” wail Dublin council staff, when the private enterprise baby-bottle is tugged away from their receptive mouths. “Think again,” the councillors themselves are saying.
Should your city council be having the same debate as Dublin’s? Read more in THE IRISH TIMES: Council reasons for not building houses just don’t stack up
