Plenary 4: How can Housing Policy support a Wellbeing Economy in Ireland? – Towards a Wellbeing Economy for Ireland: June 25

This plenary session investigated the housing challenge in Ireland. Points raised included the importance of treating housing as a fundamental need rather than as an asset for speculation; the potential for a definancialised approach to housing policy that would emphasise community housing; the need to place the concept of interdependence and care at the centre of housing; Ireland’s rich history of cooperatives in different sectors, and the potential role of housing cooperatives; the risks deriving from relying primarily on the market to produce and price properties; the dangers posed by the rise of the far-right; and the need to combine locally-focussed approaches with measures to curtail the power of the international financial system.