Letters: Grappling with the housing crisis

Sir, – Your editorial on February 24th, analysing the housing crisis, is well founded. The scale of Ireland’s housing shortage means that incremental progress will not be enough; sustained acceleration in delivery, infrastructure and planning reform is essential.

However, alongside speed of delivery, the composition of supply also matters. Ireland has, rightly, long prioritised home ownership, while long-term rental – a stable and accepted tenure in many European countries – has remained comparatively underdeveloped. Meanwhile, the affordability gap continues to grow apace, with rents increasing by more than 80 per cent in the last 10 years.

Expanding secure social and cost-rental housing at scale can help build a more balanced system, reducing pressure on both the private rental and ownership markets.

A decisive year will require not only political resolve but consistent collaboration between Government, local authorities and housing providers, alongside recognition that durable solutions depend on sustained investment across multiple tenures. – Yours, etc,