TJ Cronin says ‘extraordinary measures are required to deal with the housing crisis’
Thursday 10th June 2021 The new President of the Society of Chartered Surveyors has backed a recommendation from the ESRI that Ireland should borrow an additional €4bn to €7bn a year to invest in housing.
TJ Cronin, a Cork based estate agent, told the SCSI’s agm that the supply situation had deteriorated dramatically due to covid and extraordinary measures were required to deal with the crisis.
“The SCSI has been calling for a major government funded house building programme involving both the private and public sectors for some time. Even at the pre-covid rate of output – circa 20,000 units – we forecast that supply and demand would not be in equilibrium until 2031. So unless drastic action is taken, tens of thousands of people hoping to buy an affordable home, will face another decade of despair”.
In a new report the ESRI said the Government should consider doubling its current investment in housing, from €2bn to €4bn, which could deliver 18,000 units a year.
Mr Cronin described the Society – which has 5,000 members – as the independent voice of the property and construction sector and said it was ideally placed to make a real contribution in addressing the housing crisis.
He said the three areas which need to be addressed are access to zoned and serviced development land, the supply of affordable and viable housing stock and the availability of competitively priced mortgages for buyers and finance for builders.
“Estate agents all-round the country are seeing first-hand the effects of the chronic shortage of property. The current situation isn’t sustainable and if the ESRI believes the state can manage the extra borrowing, surely now is the time to act. What we need now is long term strategic vision, not short-term reactionary measures” Mr Cronin said.
Priorities
In his online address to members he said implementing the SCSI’s new strategic plan – ‘Road Map 2024’ would be a key priority as would encouraging members to adopt sustainable practices.
He praised his predecessor Micheál Mahon for leading the SCSI through what has been an extremely challenging period and thanked him for agreeing to stay on as Chair of the Construction Industry Council. He also thanked former President Johanna Gill who is stepping down from the board.
Mr Cronin who is Residential Manager at Irish & European, a Cork city based estate agent, is also a registered valuer. A previous Chair of the Southern Region of the SCSI, the 45 year old has been an active member of the SCSI for ten years. Prior to that he was a member of IAVI for 9 years before it merged with the SCS to form the SCSI in 2011. Originally from Drinagh in West Cork, Mr Cronin is married with two young children. A keen supporter of gaelic games, he is an executive board member of Carrigaline GAA Club.
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