Publication
Public consultations and stakeholder engagements from The Housing Commission
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Published on
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The Commission conducted public consultations, stakeholder engagements, surveys, and conferences to understand key issues of importance in the Irish housing system and to inform its considerations and reccomendations on a referendum on housing and on long-term housing policy in Ireland.
In forming its conclusions and reccomendations on a referendum on housing, the Commission was keen to assess the views of as many stakeholders as possible. Accordingly, it launched a public consultation on 1 July 2022, which concluded on 2 September 2022. The consultation invited members of the public, public representatives, organisations involved in housing, and people working in related policy and legal areas to make submissions. The consultation asked consultees for their view on two questions:
(a) if there should be a referendum to amend the Constitution; and
(b) if so, what form should any proposed amendment take.
More than 2,000 submissions were received, encompassing a broad range of responses from a wide variety of stakeholders. Further details on the key findings of the Public Consultation on a Referendum on Housing in Ireland can be found in the Appendices to Referendum Report of The Housing Commission (go to Appendix 5).
A public consultation seeking views on Housing in Ireland was launched by the Housing Commission on 21 March 2023.. A total of 897 responses were received. Respondents were invited to give specific views on topics directly linked to the Commission’s terms of reference. The most prominent finding arising from the public consultation process was the negative impacts of the housing crisis on overall quality of life in Ireland; 74% of respondents indicated that their housing situation had negatively affected their quality of life. Survey results indicated a strong preference for home ownership. Measures and interventions prioritised by respondents are broadly in line with the recommendations proposed by the Housing Commission.
Further details and on the key findings of The Housing Commission Public Consultation can be found in the Appendices to Report of The Housing Commission (go to Appendix 1B.1.).
The Housing Commission undertook a specific consultation process with senior officials from government departments and agencies, the chief executives of several local authorities, industry-specific groups such as utilities companies, contractors, property owners and planning associations, and other relevant public bodies/organisations involved directly or indirectly with housing and related infrastructure. A total of 30 engagements took place.
In addition to the formal stakeholder engagement meetings, several additional stakeholders were invited to present to the Commission at Subcommittee and Working Group meetings. Key issues were identified and discussed at these meetings, as well as findings from ongoing work in areas such as infrastructure, skills and training, energy efficiency and decarbonisation, rural housing, land policy and more. Policy proposals and suggestions were made by experts and stakeholders. These insights influenced the Commission’s report and its recommendations, ensuring a real-world perspective on many of the core areas of housing in Ireland. Further details on the stakeholder engagement can be found in the Appendices to Report of The Housing Commission (go to Appendix to 1A.1.).
A key area of focus in the provision of long-term housing is meeting the needs of young people. To better understand the current housing situation of young people and to help provide direction to the Commission, a survey was undertaken with a focus on people aged 18-39. These insights were covered in Section 2 of the Report of The Housing Commission. Further details on the stakeholder engagement can also be found in the Appendices to Report of The Housing Commission (go to Appendix 1B.2.).
The Commission also undertook a survey of House Providers to gain specific insights from key construction sector stakeholders. A particular focus was their experience of the current housing delivery landscape, current and expected industry capacity, and current and future challenges. These insights underpin the Commission’s recommendations. Further details on the House Providers Survey can be found in the Appendices to Report of The Housing Commission (go to Appendix 1B.3.)
On 10 and 11 May 2022, the Commission on Housing held a conference which explored the concept of holding a referendum on housing in Ireland. Both domestic and international experts were invited to speak and share their views about a right on housing. The conference provided the opportunity to hear about the experiences of other countries, particularly the international experience of constitutionalising housing rights, as well as providing a technical examination of various proposals.
The conference covered a range of topics, including: a right to housing, property rights versus housing rights, Irish judicial approaches to socio-economic rights, international perspectives on the right to housing, socio-economic rights, redistribution and judicial competence, and the impact of constitutionalising social rights. A summary of the papers and presentations made during the conference is available on the Commission on Housing’s website.
On 17 February 2023, the Housing Commission held a Tenant Union/Tenant Engagement conference. Established tenant union bodies in Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands were invited to share their experiences and knowledge of tenant unions in Europe. This was complemented by presentations and discussion from tenant and resident organisations in Ireland. The conference developed activity and discussion around promoting the voice of tenants in Ireland.