Ms Susanne Rogers:

I will not go through all ten points but, rather, just pick out those Dr. Healy highlighted in his presentation. Expanding Housing First to families is vital. Damage is done by virtue of being homeless. Wraparound supports and services are needed to ensure those families are supported as they move from homelessness back into secure, stable and long-term accommodation. That security of tenure piece seems to be missing. That is really what any housing system, be it social or affordable housing, cost rental or private market, should be affording citizens. That security of tenure piece is really missing, particularly in the private rental market.

Acquiring an equity stake in properties in mortgage distress is also an interesting piece. Mortgage to rent has been in place since 2012, which I keep having to remind myself is almost ten years ago. As of 31 March 2021, they had 1,179 applications completed across a span of almost ten years. Thus, whilst mortgage to rent is working for some households in long-term mortgage distress, it is, again according to the Central Bank's latest data, not doing anything for the 30,000-odd households that have been in mortgage arrears for more than two years.

The number of households in mortgage arrears for ten years or more is 5,266. The fact they are still in arrears shows there are no solutions available to them. Anything that could have been done more than likely has been and they are at serious risk of losing their homes. This is now 30,000 households that could be added to social housing lists, which is not what we need considering the lists are quite sizable. According to the official housing lists, 61,000 households are on the assessment waiting for social housing. To that can be added those on HAP, and the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, because households in receipt of them are not secure and still have a social housing need to be met. That is where we would be looking for those 14,500 social homes to be built each year. Everybody has mentioned the ESRI report, which is fantastic. The recovery plan announced yesterday mentioned 33,000 homes to be built across, private, social, affordable and all those other categories and again we welcome that.