Interesting Census housing data analysis from Seamus Coffey

10 comments

1. And the killer comment:

   >On long-term vacancy, Dublin had just 1,335 livable units (0.2% of 2022 stock) that were vacant in each recent census – 2011, 2016 and 2022. In contrast, Mayo had 2,171 (3.2% of its 2022 stock) that were vacant in each census.

2. I might be misremembering but when Vancouver brought in a similar law they found only 600 vacant unit, not the thousands there was presumed to be.

3. > On long-term vacancy, Dublin had just 1,335 livable units (0.2% of 2022 stock)

   He seems to be defining long term vacancy as vacant in 2016 and also 2022. That’s a pretty narrow definition but ok ..

   More importantly though it’s missing the point that there’s a huge amount of dereliction in our cities. Housing that could be brought onto the market faster and cheaper (not to mention better for the city, environment …) than building new elsewhere.

4. The problem with his view is that almost the entire country is in high demand because people cannot find anywhere to live.

5. There’s separate issues.

   Firstly you want to turn Dublin from a large town into a large city without major top down decision making (e.g. such as bulldozing areas of 19th century 1 story tenement housing in the city center). That’s just not going to happen.
   There’s not a city in Europe did that. Maybe London, but that created Victorian London.

   Secondly, planning requirements are half the cost of building outside Dublin. Either fix that or just bloody scrap them.

6. >Will the findings from #Census2022 dispel the myth that vacant units offer a substantial solution to Ireland’s housing woes?

   No, because people would rather believe in myths than confront reality.

7. We need to build. There isn’t nearly enough vacant property to solve the current issues.

   And can we please, **please** shut the fuck up with that nonsense that REITs are intentionally leaving properties vacant. It’s total bullshit.

8. More distraction from the simple fact we’re not building enough housing.

9. Seems to me that people like Séamus Coffey and Ronan Lyons don’t have the impact as Lorcán Sirr and Rory Herne because they don’t blend the truth into a simple political narrative.

10. It doesnt matter if the change between 2016 and 2022 isnt much. We arent saying that the housing disaster is due to a increase in vacant homes from 2016 to 2022 – we are saying that vacant homes can be used to help alleviate the problem.

    There isn’t going to be one solution.