Dublin City has become unaffordable for average earners to live in. One of the main reasons Mary sought election was to champion the delivery of affordable homes for working people in our community. Mary believes passionately that everyone should have a secure affordable home.
Mary believes Dublin City needs to adopt the Vienna Housing Model so that key workers and contributors can live in our city.
O’Devaney Gardens is a prime publicly owned, 14 acre site, less than a mile from O’Connell Street, zoned and serviced for housing with public transport, sewerage, electricity and public lighting.
Mary believes O’Devaney Gardens is an ideal site for the state to build affordable homes for working people according to the Vienna Housing Model.
For more than ten years Dublin City Council officials have worked with the department of housing and the private sector to come-up with a plan to deliver housing on O’Devaney Gardens, the most desirable state-owned site in Dublin City.
In 2016 the Government identified O’Devaney Gardens as its “flagship” development in its “Rebuilding Ireland : Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness” and promptly turned to the private sector and private developers to fund and build the housing.
Mary understands that despite the Governments repeated assertion that money is no issue when it comes to housing, this Government is only willing to provide funding for 30% of the potential homes on the O’Devaney site. The Government is underfunding its own “flagship” housing development by 70%.
Next month Dublin City Councillors will be asked to dispose of the land to facilitate a private developer to fund the construction of 824 residential units on the site. The proposal is for homes to be 50% private, 30% social and 20% affordable purchase.
Following presentation of the deal at the Central Area Committee, Mary had serious misgivings about the proposal and asked Dublin City Manager for the following information :
- Copy of external legal advice cautioning against changing the procurement contract from Affordable Purchase to cost rental/affordable rental
- Copy of the land valuation
- Copy of the Cost Benefit Analyses
- Commitment that the community infrastructure will be delivered in Phase I
- Commitment that the €7m paid by the developer will be ring-fenced for community facilities
- Confirmation that the sale prices listed in the report are prices before discounts are applied
- Confirmation that DCC will seek amendment of the income thresholds to allow for greater social mix in public housing
Mary says Dublin City Councillors should not approve a “pig in a poke”. Dublin City Councillors, as the guardians of public lands, should ensure those lands are put to maximum public benefit. The deal as outlined at the Central Area Committee falls far short of that. You can see the full presentation HERE.
The Vienna Housing Model on O’Devaney lands would give working people of all ages the opportunity to live in well designed, affordable and secure homes in Dublin City and Mary calls on Dublin City Council and the Government to support its delivery.