Social housing in the Irish housing market

The paper traces the evolution of state support for low-income housing since the start of the millennium. It notes, in particular, the increased reliance on the private sector to supply rented housing to low-income households. Given this reliance, it is important to investigate the adequacy of the quality of this accommodation. The paper draws on SILC data to examine recent changes in the quality of housing available to renters and purchasers, focusing on physical aspects of the dwelling.  The paper concludes with a discussion of the findings and their implications for policy.