The David McWilliams Podcast Could the GAA Solve Ireland’s Housing Crisis?
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Sep 16, 2025 Could cooperative housing be the key to alleviating Ireland's housing crisis? The conversation explores how the GAA could use its community resources to create affordable homes inspired by Denmark's successful model. Discussing the importance of collective ownership and dignity in housing, they highlight the disparity between high costs of traditional homes and more affordable co-op options. Other intriguing topics include political dynamics, Jim Gavin’s presidential aspirations, and the societal impact of homelessness, especially among children.
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Cooperative Housing As A Third Way
- David McWilliams proposes cooperative housing as a solution to Ireland's affordability crisis by aligning housing with incomes rather than speculation.
- He frames the model as community-based, bottom-up, and designed to create intergenerational neighbourhoods.
GAA Pitches Are Community Hubs
- David describes driving through rural Ireland and seeing a GAA pitch in almost every tiny village, impeccably maintained by volunteers.
- He uses that observation to illustrate the GAA's deep local presence and organisational capacity.
Member-Owned Housing Structure
- Cooperative housing means residents buy shares in a co-op that owns land and buildings, with one-member-one-vote governance.
- This structure removes individual bidding wars and centralises maintenance and decisions democratically.