A new report has claimed that housing affordability must be built into the supply of housing.

The NESC report, 'Urban Development Land, Housing and Infrastructure: Fixing Ireland's Broken System', addresses a number of challenges identified in the Government's strategy Project Ireland 2040.

These include provision of affordable rental and owner-occupied housing for a growing number of the population. It also identifies cost-rental as the most effective way of achieving this "permanent affordability".

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NESC discusses the important role of publicly owned land in increasing the amount of affordable housing. According to the report, rather than selling public land for short term revenue, it should be used to drive the provision of affordable housing and the move to a new system of housing and active land management.

Speaking at the publication of the report Dr Rory O'Donnell, the Director of NESC, said: "We know from experience that in countries with more effective, affordable and stable housing systems—such as Austria, Germany and the Netherlands—public bodies actively manage land supply, housing provision and affordability." 

He also highlighted that "other countries are increasingly drawing on the uplift in land value to help to fund transport infrastructure and affordable housing". 

(CM/MH)