Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 3:

In page 7, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following: ““community housing trust” has meaning given to it by section 6(3);”.

I thank the Minister for bringing the Bill before the House. A year ago I was quite unsure about the programme for Government. However, just one year on, and following much discourse and negotiation, this Bill, coupled with the Land Development Agency Bill, gives me hope. Green Party policies of cost-rental, 100% public housing on public land, the abolition of co-living, community-led housing, tenures of indefinite duration and the imminent shutting down of the strategic housing development, SHD, scheme, among other measures, have been legislated for.

There are legacy issues from previous Governments. However, all of the aforementioned actions will provide affordable secure homes for many families and young people who have been locked out of the housing system. We have tabled a number of amendments to the Bill on the community-led housing model and I welcome the Minister's amendments to include such housing in the Bill as a new model for the State. These amendments will provide a statutory footing to model and will enable people to pool their assets and resources to create homes and communities that meet their particular needs in a sustainable manner.

As part of an academic research tour of Berlin organised by Mr. Dominic Stevens, an architect and advocate of community-led housing, I visited such a complex where the cost of homes was as much as 30% lower. I look forward to seeing this affordable housing model being rolled out in Ireland.

We need to ensure that our affordable housing models remain affordable and State led. Green Party amendments call for cost-rental dwellings to remain cost rental in perpetuity, rents to decrease rather than increase after the cost calculation period ends, equity returns to be capped at 3.5% in line with the equitable Vienna model, and tenants to be protected by offering tenancies of indefinite duration. Regulations are also required to provide succession rights to relatives or partners living with the tenant in the case of death or incapacity of the original signee.

All of these provisions are proposed as amendments by me, Deputy Matthews and our policy team. I urge the Minister and the Department to consider them either as part of the Bill or the accompanying regulations on cost rental. While our universal design amendment was ruled out of order, housing should be based on good and inclusive design. Our amendment called for 7.5% of new developments to follow the principles of universal design, ensuring that all people of varying abilities and disabilities could find suitable homes that met their needs. I welcome the Green Party's amendment to add a further section to the Bill requiring that 30% of units in any development, including apartments, be reserved for first-time buyers and owner-occupiers.

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