"Housing debate dominated by irrational solutions and nonsense private sector critiques"

[Brendan Burgess]

Housing debate dominated by irrational solutions and nonsense private sector critiques

Demonising crucial institutional investors will not improve supply

www.irishtimes.com

Given the chronic lack of housing supply, emotive responses have to be expected, but conducting the debate around solutions that are neither logical or rational makes it harder for policymakers to do the right thing. Either through ignorance or in some cases through the deliberate misleading of the public, those with an irrational opposition to the private sector, and particularly to the institutional investment community, seek to create a cartoonish world of good guys versus bad, which demonises the very people who actually have a crucial role to play in solving the housing crisis in this country – namely, those providing the essential investment that helps build much-needed homes for sale and rent.