The Environment Minister is pledging to clear the social housing waiting list by 2020.

Alan Kelly's commitment is contained in a new multi-billion euro strategy to provide 90,000 homes.

The package of measures will include the creation of 29,000 jobs to build 35,000 properties.

A further 75,000 homes will be provided in the private rented sector, through the Housing Assistance Payment and Rental Accommodation Scheme.

Paudie Coffey - Minister of State at the Department of the Environment with Special Responsibility for Housing, Planning and Coordination - spoke to Newstalk Lunchtime about the "ambitious strategy": 

Minister Kelly says the plan will address the social housing supply shortage:

Ahead of the launch of the new plans, the Government was warned many families in Ireland will have 'little chance' of buying their own home in the future.

The warning comes from the National Economic and Social Council, in a report compiled for the Taoiseach.

It expects that people from a range of social classes will find it 'difficult if not impossible' to buy homes.

The advice was considered at yesterday's cabinet meeting, ahead of full publication in the coming weeks.

Recent figures from Focus Ireland show hundreds of families have lost their homes this year and urgent help is needed.

In the first ten months of this year, more then 800 children and their families became homeless, while in Dublin last month alone, 45 families became homeless.

In late October, there were 1,101 people in families - 680 children and their 421 parents - in all types of emergency accommodation, marking the highest level since the housing crisis began.

Last week, Dublin City Council released figures showing that 168 people were sleeping rough on November 11th, up from 127 in April.

It marked the highest figure since the official count began in 2007 and is in addition to over 1,500 individuals in emergency accommodation that night.

Originally published at 7.34am