The Republic of Ireland's Housing Agency has produced a report that explores the possibility of a national empty homes strategy for the Republic. The report draws on the experience of strategies and programmes in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, including for example that of Wales, but a strategy for an independent sovereign nation would be a an exciting precedent, where Ireland could well develop an exemplar from which we could all learn.
The Housing Agency is roughly the equivalent of the Homes and Communities Agency, but we understand it has a somewhat broader remit. The report is intended for the Committee on Housing and Homelessness. The report documents high vacancy rates across the country, both rural and urban areas (see also our Around-the-Web link), which would suggest a strategy would have an important role to play, and particularly given Ireland's considerable homelessness issues.
The Empty Homes Network has offered to help in whatever way we reasonably can, drawing on the extensive experience of our practitioners. In very informal discussions to date we have simply stressed the potential added value of a national strategy to support local action and generate continuity, in accordance with our own policy documents.
The draft Report is available to our Full Members only here.