The State should step in to help cash-strapped families who struggle to find affordable rental accommodation, a new report from the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) is expected to recommend.
The new NESC report, which is still being finalised, is expected to argue for "targeted" State intervention in the private rental sector.
This approach would, the council believes, ensure the supply of reasonably-priced rental housing for those who currently find themselves excluded from State support programmes.
Such candidates would be too well-off to qualify for conventional social housing. On the other hand their incomes would be too low to allow them to buy their own homes.
NESC has identified three categories of household that might benefit from the intervention it suggests. Most controversially, the list includes "essential workers in affordability black-spots". This would cover lower-paid professionals such as nurses or teachers who work in urban areas.
The council would also focus on economically-active households where the members are experiencing "temporary affordability problems". Such difficulties could include the financial burden of having young children or children attending university.
Thirdly, economically-active households likely to experience permanent affordability problems (e.g. low-skilled workers) would be targeted.
The provision of such a scheme could "balance" the current focus on affordable home ownership by allowing the creation of a viable long-term rental sector, according to NESC.
As things stand, the council suggests, households are often faced with buying a home earlier than they choose because they want to avoid paying high rents.
NESC is expected to outline a scheme where costs would be partially subsidised through, for example, tax relief or rent subsidies. Rents would be below market levels or at cost, while the properties would be owned and managed by limited profit or not-for-profit entities as opposed to the State.
NESC suggests a "stronger voluntary and co-operative housing sector" could reduce pressures on local authority units.
The extent of State involvement in such an initiative would be the provision of fiscal or other incentives and a legislative and regulatory framework for the sector.
The NESC council, which includes all the social partners, is also expected to recommend that local authorities should join with Government in identifying and purchasing land that might be used for social and affordable housing developments.
