Chapter 2: Core Strategy, Settlement Strategy and Housing Strategy
The chapter related to settlement and housing should be commended for emphasising the need for better use of land, more sustainable compact growth, renewable energy solutions, inclusivity and enhanced mobility options.
The plan suggests that the “the county’s most significant place-making challenge will be to plan and deliver future development in a way that moves more towards self-sustaining, rather than commuter driven activity, therefore allowing its towns, villages and rural components to play to their strengths, while above all, moving from a sprawl-led development model”
This move away from a sprawl-led development model begins by recognising that housing is more than just an asset and we, as a society, have failed to appreciate its role building communities of place.
Proposed amendment or inclusion:
- Community-Led Housing - evolving across Europe and the wider world - empowers communities to develop solutions which address their particular housing needs. This approach provides a framework for residents and communities to collaborate in the creation and revitalisation of new and existing neighbourhoods. The unique feature of Community-Led Housing is the empowerment of future residents to meaningfully participate in both the design and long-term management of their homes. Community-Led Housing is an umbrella term, encompassing a wide range of approaches, including cooperative housing, cohousing, Community Land Trusts (CLTs), and self-help housing. Although no two Community- Led Housing projects are the same, they all share a common goal of meeting specific local housing needs via collaboration, empowerment and mutual support. Community-Led Housing (CLH) is premised on the conviction that a house is not just a building, or an asset, it is a home: a place to live. SOA have released some very important publications on this topic which has led to recent amends amendments made to the Affordable Housing Bill. This will see community-led housing and community land trusts referenced in Irish legislation for the first time. This research can be found here: https://soa.ie/
Rationale:
The Draft plan currently has no references to community-led housing. With its recent addition to the Affordable Housing Bill, Galway County Council can take the lead and implement community-led solutions that can quickly alleviate the housing crisis across this county. This contributes to the efforts to achieve SDG 1, 3, 10, 11 and 17.