Housing not only provides shelter it has many other important social and economic functions. It impacts on the wellbeing of individuals and families and the cohesion of neighbourhoods. Housing provision is costly for governments and households but it is an important asset, source of tax revenue and of employment. Therefore housing also has important implications for social inequality, economic efficiency and community cohesion.
This module examines the development of housing policy in Ireland since the 1980s and explores the implications of these policies for social inequality, community cohesion and economic efficiency. It is divided into three parts.
The opening lectures examine relevant policy developments in the 1980s such as reforms to the regulation of mortgage lending and the provision and funding of social housing for low income households.
The module then examines the house price boom which commenced in the early 1990s and ended in a bust of unprecedented scale in 2007. These lectures focused in particular on the role which policy played in stimulating the boom.
The closing part of the lectures examine the housing market bust which commenced in 2007, the socio-economic impact of this bust and the effectiveness of government responses.