A discussion of Dublin's 2018 housing crisis in the context of Herbert Simm's legacy as Dublin City Architect in the 1920s and 1930s

1. Dublin: A City in Permanent Crisis - A Political Response to public housing in Dublin
Ciarán Cuffe October 2018
Introduction
Ruth McManus in ‘Dublin 1910-1940’ quotes a question from Peadar Doyle TD who asked in
1928 whether the Minister would ‘consider the necessity of accommodating more people in
central areas, and so save cost of transport and extra cost of food away from home.’
Interestingly today the CSO informs us that the average household spends 15% of their income
on food, the same on transport, and 20% on housing. However many are not so lucky and are
spending increasing amounts on housing to the point where the average household simply
cannot afford to rent or buy in Dublin. As our housing list in Dublin City approaches 20,000 and
as 1,400 families with almost 3,000 children are in homeless accommodation we must apply a
new urgency to the Housing Crisis.
Then and Now
When Herbert Simms took up the post of the Post of Housing Architect he focused his efforts on
central Dublin. I suspect the question from Deputy Doyle resonated with him, particularly as not
long before he had visited new housing schemes in London, Liverpool and Manchester.
Thankfully he built high density decent quality homes that are still in use today. The built legacy
of his tenure is extraordinary from Henrietta House to Chancery House; from Cook Street to
Ringsend. And yet the crisis continues. The legacy of the Irish financial crisis is that it polarised
attitudes and hardened opinions. As a second Celtic Tiger leaps ahead there is a real danger
that many will be left behind as they were before.
Cover of “Dublin a city in Crisis”, RIAI,1975
Housing Schemes back then in the 1930s faced long delays in the construction process. Four
years could elapse from design to construction. Construction costs were more expensive for
four storey dwellings and there was pressure from builders and the general public to build at low
densities, far away from the city centre. Plus ca change! Back then tenement families lived in
atrocious conditions in overcrowded unhygienic one room tenements. Today even some of
those fortunate enough to have the local authority as a landlord still live in unacceptable
conditions.

2. Poor quality local authority tenancy conditions in email from constituent2018
International Dimension
And yet the housing crisis is not uniquely an Irish one. Cities as far flung as Sydney, New York
and London all face housing crises of supply and affordability. As wealth is increasingly
concentrated into the hands of the 1% it seems curious that the political centre has swung to the
right and reduced pressure on our leaders to provide quality public housing. Is the situation
irresolvable? Are homeless families destined to watch as student housing is built for the well-off
and as hotels and AirBnB crowd out sites and housing that was once available to them? I don’t
believe so and I feel that are solutions that have worked elsewhere and with some political
support can succeed in tackling our continuous housing crisis.
“The numberof tenementsis growing each year,as is also the undesirable
practice ofsublettingtenements.The Corporationcannotcontrol the
spread of tenementsas they have no placeto rehouse the people… The
Corporation’sactivitieshave had littleeffecton the magnitude of the
housing problem.”
Report of the Local Government (Dublin) Tribunal, 1938
Political Support
When Simms was building there were huge challenges of political support, land costs and
housing costs. These problems remain today, but there are certainly possibilities for stronger
political support; making better use of under-used or vacant lands and housing, and new
technologies that can cut down construction costs. I don’t intend to focus on the political
dimension but there is I believe a strong shared vision amongst parties on the left in providing
decent homes for those in need. Given the recent experience of Government of both the Labour
Party and ourselves I suspect the takeaway lesson is not to go into Government if the economy
is about to tank, and if you are in Government during a period of austerity make sure to punch
above your weight!

3. “We cannotdo anotherwinterliving in these conditions. We have storage
heating,which asyou may know,release a limitedamountof heat
throughoutthe entire day,by the time dinnertime comesthere is no heat
left in the storage heater.Not only does it not supply enough heatto
actually heatthe living room,but it costs an absolute fortune to run. … I
have limited incomeand just cannotafford to run extra electricheaters.
The fact of the matteris the heating system in these apartments are brutal,
old fashionedand inadequate.
Plus we have to deal with these windows thatdon’teven keep the cold out.
Any heat that we may have in our apartmentgoes straightout through the
cracks aroundthe windows.Realisticallythis is inhumane,when a room is
less than 17 degrees Celsius it is not habitable.Rooms in our apartment
are reaching 15 degrees Celsiusand its only September.In the winterwe
are literallyfreezing.”
Note from Constituent, 2018
Better Use of Existing Housing Stock
The occupation of vacant buildings in Dublin’s north inner city in recent months by housing
activists has highlighted one of the pillars of Rebuilding Ireland which focussed on empty
homes. The Fifth Pillar seeks to ensure that “existing housing stock is used to the maximum
degree possible - focusing on measures to use vacant stock to renew urban and rural areas”.
The 2016 Census states that there were just over two million housing units in the State, but
almost a quarter of a million of these were vacant on census night. While this had reduced by
15% in the five years since 2011, it is still significant. In Dublin City where housing demand and
homelessness rates are high the figure is still close to 8% vacancy, although voids in Council
housing have reduced.

4. Infographic from Dublin City Council Homeless Agency 2018
There are examples from abroad that can help us in making better use of vacant housing. In
Germany the Leipzig House Guardian Scheme allows vacant properties to be peacefully
occupied by those in need of housing. There is a clear need to legislate for a similar scheme
here. It is unacceptable that habitable homes are vacant for years at a time.
In February 2018 new planning regulations that should simplify the process for converting upper
floor commercial space to residential were brought into law. It is unclear how many units have
been converted under these regulations, but much of the red tape still remains. If the building is
listed (a Protected Structure) a declaration is still required from the local authority stating that
the works will not affect the character of the structure. It also appears that a Fire Safety
Certificate and Disabled Access Certificate are also still required, so the regulatory changes are
not quite as sweeping as are claimed.
Living City Scheme
The Living City Scheme continues in five cities but has yet to gain traction. This allows
significant tax benefits to those who refurbish and occupy pre-1915 buildings in our city centres.
While Dublin City and other Councils have set up one-stop shops to advance the scheme the
take-up so far has been minimal. Perhaps greater promotion directly with building owners is
required. The Vacant Sites Levy which commences in 2019 is assisting in encouraging building-
owners to refurbish their properties and develop lands, but lacks teeth. The 3% levy rises to 7%
in 2020, but could be higher.
Vacant Sites Levy
The Vacant Sites Levy can be a powerful instrument to incentivise landowners to act on empty
lands and buildings. However we need to remove lower limit of 500 sq. m. for Vacant Sites Levy
by amending Section 5 (2) of the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015.
We also need to go further and introduce a Site Value Tax on all zoned lands. This would
encourage optimal use of lands and reduce land prices.
Probate times must be speeded up. Up until recently in the Dublin Probate Office it could take a
year for probate to be declared. I understand that recruitment to fill vacant posts has taken
place, but we must also simplify procedures and allow greater online applications and a simpler
process.
We should also reform the Fair Deal Scheme. If 80% of the income from renting out a home if
the owner is incapacitated goes to the State it is now wonder that so many homes are left
empty. We need a greater incentive to rent out vacant properties.
Procurement
The length of time to build new local authority homes hasn’t improved appreciably since
Simms’s time. I am glad that Minister Murphy has suggested that he may review the complex
four stage approval process for new local authority homes. In truth he should go further, and
allow local authorities to borrow money for housing without convoluted approval from
Government. If local authorities could issue bond perhaps with a cap of 20% of their annual
budget hundreds if not thousands of homes could be built more quickly. The paternalistic view
from the Customs House to City Hall is somewhat ironic, given that it was the successive
policies of central government policies and spending that sunk the country a decade ago.

5. Local Authority Housing Approval Process,DepartmentofHousing,Communities and Local Government, 2015
Social Cohesion
Unusually in Ireland we tend to limit the State’s intervention in the housing market to the poorest
decile of the population. This can have poor consequences in terms of segregation and division.
Other countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Austria have a long history of using
housing policies to unify rather than divide society. The recent report by NESC the national
Economic and Social Council entitled “Social Housing at the Crossroads:
Possibilities for Investment, Provision and Cost Rental” shows what can be done in terms of
counteracting segregation and providing housing in the numbers that we need.
Financing
Central Government should not be the only port of call for housing. Other countries mandate a
percentage of pension funds towards providing affordable housing. This should happen here.
Why should CIE and ESB hold billions in equities in their employees’ pension funds, with no
obligation to fund housing for these people’s children?

6. Credit Unions also hold significant assets on behalf of their members. The primary legislation
governing their operation should be reviewed to allow surplus funds to be invested in providing
homes.
The European Investment Bank provided a loan of €150m to the Irish Government to assist in
funding the Cross-City Luas project. They charge just over 1.5% interest. We need to seek
multiples of this in funding for housing, just like municipalities in Spain are doing.
North City potential developmentlands:map
Underused and vacant lands
I was pleased to see last week’s announcement by the Catholic Archdiocese that they intend
developing parts of their lands off Clonliffe Road for mixed-used development including housing.
Indeed we have already seen the development of a Family Hub on these lands in the former
Mater Dei institute. However I was curious to see that they appear to have entered into an
agreement with the GAA regarding the lands. I trust that they will ensure full and transparent
engagement with the surrounding the future of these lands. It strikes me as perfect opportunity
for co-creation.
However we can be much more ambitious than this. In my role as chair of the Masters
Programme in urban regeneration and development I set my students the task of examining the
housing potential of underused lands in north Dublin, close to the city centre. They showed that
there was considerable potential to deliver significant volumes of new housing within walking
and cycling distance of central Dublin. I have examined thirteen sites, most of them with
considerable development potential close to the city centre. Most of these are owned by the
State or semi-state agencies. While some are currently in active use, there are strong and
compelling reasons to relocate some of the activities on the land and use these sites for
predominantly housing uses.

7. Location Hectares
Abbey Street (former CIE) 0.52
Bannow Road 3.71
Botanic Road 3.78
Broadstone Bus Éireann 8.03
Broadstone Dublin Bus 2.03
Carnlough Road (former CIE) 4.80
Castleforbes Industrial estate 2.61
ConnollyStation 2.19
Conygham Road (CIE) 1.39
Dominick Street 0.60
Docklands:Mayor Street 2.13
Docklands:North Wall
Avenue 1.86
Docklands:Spencer Dock 2.23
Dublin Industrial Estate:West 11.60
Dublin Industrial Estate:East 33.70
Drumcondra Diocesan Land 17.30
EastWall Road (Irish Rail) 5.97
EastWall Road (Port Tunnel) 5.51
Fish Markets 0.45
Mater Hospital 0.79
O'Devaney & St. Bricin's 9.96
OssoryRoad 0.94
Royal Canal 3.62
Sean McDermot Street 0.83
Sheriff Street (Irish Rail) 4.00
Summerhill (CIE) 1.10
TOTAL 132
At 75 units per Hectare 9,873 Households
At 2 persons per unit 19,747 Persons
North City potential developmentlands:numbers

8. The sites in question cover over 132 hectares of land in the north city alone. If these lands were
developed at 75 units to the hectare which is not a particularly high density they could provide
almost 10,000 homes catering for 20,000 persons. This broadly equates with the numbers on
Dublin City Council’s housing waiting list. Around 34% of these lands are in public ownership, so
if we wish to avoid speculative profits on upzoning lands such as the Dublin Industrial Estate we
would have to reinstate the tax on land zoning profits that was previously in Section 644 AB (1)
of the National Asset Management Agency Act 2009, unfortunately terminated by the Fine Gael
led Government through Section 31 A (ii) of the Finance Act 2014.
Medium density housing from Rogers, R. 1999.“Towards an Urban Renaissance”
I don’t wish to suggest that all of these lands are developed, but I do feel we need the type of
vision of a Ken Whitaker if we are to seriously tackle the crisis that has been with us since the
foundation of the State. If this requires the use of Compulsory Purchase Powers to buy housing
land then so is it.
ENDS