4.8 Public Housing

The provision of housing to those who can’t afford their own is the responsibility of the Housing Authority of Dublin City Council and this is undertaken through various schemes, including the direct development of public housing for subsequent renting. Public housing in the capital has been and continues to be a significant issue.

In the 1880’s only small scale provision by Dublin Corporation was undertaken to address the very poor housing conditions for the working classes of that time. Little was done until the 1930s to address the issue comprehensively and in that decade a Report of Inquiry indicated that there were just over 28,000 families living in just 6,307 tenement houses in Dublin. Since the 1930s thousands of public housing units have been provided and Parks Services have been involved in the design and provision of public housing landscapes and subsequent refurbishment projects.