A Beginners Guide To UP Housing
UP Housing is a proposed new model of not-for-profit rental housing that would end the housing crisis by providing secure, affordable homes to all that are in need. It would transform Irish society for the better by reducing income inequality and breaking down class barriers.
UP Housing is the simple, logical solution to the current housing chaos. The state has the land, finances, legal powers, expertise and everything else that is needed to make it a reality. The only thing that is missing is political will from the establishment parties. Have a read of the points below. If you like what you read, please get in touch and join the fight for UP Housing!
UP Housing is underpinned the following five key principles -
The Five Principles of UP Housing
1 - Universal Access
UP Housing would be open to everyone that is in need of housing, regardless of their income. Retail workers, nurses, firefighters, pensioners, carers, pensioners, the self-employed and anyone else who is need of a home would live side-by-side in mixed-income, inter-generational, socially balanced communities. UP Housing would thus provide hundreds of thousands of individuals and families with an alternative to the extortionate private rental market and over-priced private housing market. Over time UP Housing would effectively replace both segregated ‘social housing’ and the private rental sector.
2 - Affordable Rent
Rent is deemed to be affordable if it accounts for less than 30% of a household’s after-tax income. Under UP Housing the rent that would be paid by each individual or family would be linked to their household income and nobody would pay higher than this 30% threshold. Rents would drop during periods of lower income resulting from illness, temporary unemployment or a return to education. Equally, the rent would rise with any increase in household income.
3 - Security of Tenure
Without security of tenure it is very difficult for individuals or families to make long-term decisions about jobs, schools, personal relationships and other important areas of their lives. UP Housing would provide all residents with full security of tenure, including inter-generational tenancies in a mature system. Such security of tenure would allow individuals and families to put down long-term roots and help create stable communities.
4 - Public Ownership
More than 220,000 homes that were once owned by the state have been sold into the private sector over the decades. Many of these homes are now actually owned by private landlords who charge extortionate rents to desperate families. The decision to sell off more than two-thirds of all the existing ‘social housing’ helped create the current housing chaos. To avoid a future housing crisis all UP Housing would remain in permanent public ownership, providing a large permanent pool of affordable, secure homes into the future.
5 - Democratic Management
Many existing ‘social housing’ and private housing developments have suffered from extremely poor management. Residents in UP Housing developments would have significant input into important decisions relating to their community. All UP Housing developments would have a zero tolerance towards any anti-social behaviour or criminal activity. Those who involve themselves in such activities would forfeit their right to access UP Housing.
You can find out more about UP Housing here.
You can sign the UP Housing petition here.
If you’re ready to join the campaign for UP Housing just email UniversalPublicHousing@gmail.com.
Universal Public Housing would be open to everyone that is need of housing, regardless of income, including construction workers