The background
There is no place like home. In fact, we spend on average 26 years of our lives sleeping – something which we do at home. And with more Europeans now working from home as well, the time we spend there will only increase, adding on another 13 years.
Despite how much time we spend at home, some Europeans cannot afford decent housing. About 10% of EU citizens spend 40% or more of their household income on housing, making it hard to make ends meet. This is particularly prevalent among Europeans at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
More than 10% of Europeans have to deal with leaking roofs, damp walls, floors or foundations, or rotting window frames or floorboards. Overcrowding affects around one-sixth of the EU population and almost 8% of Europeans cannot afford to keep their home adequately warm.
The challenge
Ireland is not an exception to the housing crisis in Europe, with marginalised and lower income households suffering the most. Although social housing makes up 10% of all housing in the country, its energy performance is often poor.
Social housing in Dublin, Cork and Limerick still requires a substantial energy retrofit to address shortcomings in thermal performance and comfort levels. Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings through retrofitting is one of the most effective means to increase sustainability while also meeting environmental targets.
The action
Some €130 million has been allocated to support the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors in Southern & Eastern region of Ireland. Of this, some €90 million has been earmarked for social housing retrofits.
In order to ensure that the funds are spent effectively, the Southern Regional Assembly considered using financial instruments (a form of repayable assistance) and requested JASPERS’ assistance.
The Cork local authority decided to invest in improving the energy performance of housing. As tenants pay the energy bills themselves and are eligible to receive a fuel allowance, one of the main issues to figure out was how the local authority can achieve a financial return on the investment.
JASPERS’ assistance consisted of designing a support scheme for the investments proposed. In particular, it advised on how the grants could be blended with financial instruments and how to optimise the scope of renovation works. Although our work was in some way limited and did not encompass the entire project cycle, this was JASPERS’ first operation in Ireland and laid the groundwork for new projects to come.
The results
Residents of Cork will see some 2 000 social housing units renovated. This includes insulation works, the installation of new heating systems, sealing works and the replacement of windows and doors. The measures to improve energy performance will take into account climatic and local conditions, indoor climate conditions, cost-effectiveness and the function and age of buildings.
The project is a step forward in the EU’s strategy to fight poverty and social exclusion, under which it works “to implement policies which aim to provide access for all to decent and sanitary housing, as well as basic services necessary to live normally having regard to local circumstances (electricity, water, heating, etc.).”