New Paper Published in Elsevier’s ‘Cities’

Housing sustainability and indoor environmental quality: Policy gaps and maintenance challenges in Irish social housing

02 June 2026

Our latest peer-reviewed paper, published in Elsevier’s Cities, tackles the critical but often overlooked issue of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in Ireland’s social housing sector. Drawing on extensive interviews with residents, policymakers, housing bodies, local authorities, and advocacy groups, our research reveals that, despite mounting health concerns, IEQ remains a low policy priority—often sidelined by the drive to increase housing supply.

We combine the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) and Sustainability Theory to reveal key misalignments in policy, highlighting major gaps in standards, funding, and maintenance approaches. The findings show that Ireland’s reliance on reactive maintenance and outdated heating systems poses preventable health risks, especially for vulnerable groups, such as children and older adults. Instead, we argue for a fundamental policy shift: proactive asset management, technology-driven monitoring, and genuine resident engagement must become central to social housing strategies.

This study demonstrates that balancing housing supply with healthy, resilient living environments is essential for long-term sustainability. By moving beyond “fix it when it breaks” models and prioritising evidence-based, collaborative approaches, Ireland—and countries facing similar challenges—can build social housing that supports both present and future generations.

Explore the full open-access article and join the conversation on creating healthier, more sustainable homes for all: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2026.107191

Cite in APA:

Lima, V., Ildefonso, T. M., Daniels, S., & Mullally, J. (2026). Housing sustainability and indoor environmental quality: Policy gaps and maintenance challenges in Irish social housing. Cities, 176(107191). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2026.107191.

Our Latest Research in Taylor & Francis’s ‘Housing Studies’

Transforming social housing: moving beyond tenant blame to address systemic IEQ challenges for healthy homes in Ireland

30 April 2026

🏠 We’re excited to share our latest article: “Transforming social housing: moving beyond tenant blame to address systemic indoor environmental quality (IEQ) challenges for healthy homes in Ireland.” 🌍

Our research shows that tenants in Ireland’s social housing are too often blamed for poor IEQ, such as mould and dampness. However, our findings reveal that outdated infrastructure, maintenance issues, and fragmented policies (and even the weather) play a much bigger role than tenants’ lifestyles or behaviours. These are clear signs of deeper systemic failures.

We challenge the tenant-blaming narrative and highlight the urgent need for collaborative solutions. By focusing on system-wide change, such as proactive maintenance, policy reform, and real tenant engagement, we can create fairer, healthier homes for all.

Let’s move the conversation from blame to action. Discover how policy, practice, and partnership can shape better living conditions in Ireland’s social housing sector.

Read the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2026.2653612

Cite in APA:

Lima, V., Ildefonso, T. M., Daniels, S., & Mullally, J. (2026). Transforming social housing: moving beyond tenant blame to address systemic indoor environmental quality (IEQ) challenges for healthy homes in Ireland. Housing Studies, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2026.2653612

Co-creating Sustainable Innovations in Irish Social Housing through Participatory Research

Now Published in Elsevier’s ‘Sustainable Futures’

26 February 2026

Policymakers face growing pressure to involve citizens in shaping meaningful and inclusive reforms—especially in the drive for sustainable housing. Yet, practical approaches for genuine stakeholder participation and translating community feedback into lasting impact remain limited in Ireland.

Our newly published article addresses this gap by using participatory research with 28 social housing stakeholders to guide the introduction of environmental sensor technology. We explore key concerns, including data privacy and residents’ diverse needs, and show how stakeholder input informed both the project’s technology and engagement strategy.

Our findings highlight the power of participatory methods to create more resilient, sustainable homes, and offer practical guidance for researchers and policymakers aiming to put citizen voices at the heart of digital innovation.

Cite in APA:

Ildefonso, T.M., Lima, V., Daniels, S., & Mullally, J. (2026). Co-creating sustainable innovations in Irish social housing through participatory research. Sustainable Futures, 11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2026.101740

The SHINE Research Project Policy Brief is Out Now!

29 October 2025

The Irish social housing sector is facing a problem. Aside from the ongoing housing crisis in Ireland, issues such as mould, dampness, and structural deficiencies significantly impact home indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and health outcomes for social housing residents. The SHINE Research Project investigates this issue and highlights the necessity for a nationwide focus on improving these conditions, rather than solely increasing the housing stock. This policy brief presents the project’s findings and recommendations for transforming Irish social housing into healthier, more sustainable, and resilient living environments.

University of Limerick Students Unveil SHINE Sensor 2.0 at DCU

17 October 2025

The SHINE Sensor 2.0!

Today, students from the University of Limerick’s Real World Studio Project visited Dublin City University to showcase their groundbreaking research and innovative product designs, taking the SHINE Environmental Sensor to a new level. Guided by insights from the SHINE project, the team has developed both analogue and digital versions of the SHINE sensor. True to SHINE’s commitment to non-intrusiveness, these versions also prioritise user data privacy and security while catering to their various needs and preferences. The sensors’ design can also enhance users’ understanding of IAQ and IEQ, providing a promising way to inform people about the importance of maintaining a healthy living environment.

The team was also joined by students from Global Challenges 4, who are working on their own sustainable projects and have gained valuable insights from their peers.

DCU’s SHINE Research Project is one of the partners in the Real World Studio project. Congratulations to Maria Kazimierczak, Emilia Janik, Yaowen Zhang, Robert Lynch, and their lecturer, Dermot McInerney, for their outstanding work! We look forward to seeing your future projects and endeavours.

The SHINE Project’s Extended Abstract Published! Highlights from the Data for Policy 2025 Conference

29 June 2025

The learnings from the SHINE project were presented at the recently concluded Data for Policy 2025 Conference held at Leiden University in The Hague on June 12-13, 2025. Many neighboring universities, commission policy experts, and think tanks in the EU attended, where the overall focus of discussions centered on shifting from Green to AI policy.

The SHINE presentation, entitled “A Privacy-focused Data Solution for Understanding and Improving Indoor Environmental Quality in Social Housing from the SHINE Project,” presented by Joe Mullally, invoked meaningful conversations with other EU delegates about the practical approach to helping vulnerable social housing tenants with hazardous indoor environmental quality toward better health outcomes.

Good news: The book of abstracts is now published. Click the link below to read SHINE’s extended abstract.

_{To cite the extended abstract:}

_{Lima, V., Mullally, J., Ildefonso, T.M. & Daniels, S. (2025). A Privacy-focused Data Solution for Understanding and Improving Indoor Environmental Quality in Social Housing From the SHINE Project. In Data for Policy CIC, S. Giest & B. Klievink (Eds), Data for Policy 2025 (DfP’25) – Europe Book of Abstracts (pp. 104-107). Data for Policy CIC. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15625131}

SHINE’s Dr Valesca Lima Wins 2025 DCU President’s Award for Early Career Research

11 April 2025

On the 10th of April, SHINE’s Principal Investigator and Dublin City University (DCU) Assistant Professor in Politics, Dr Valesca Lima was awarded the prestigious DCU President’s Award for Research – Early Career Researcher for 2025.

Report: Housing discrimination is a major barrier for migrants when securing housing in Ireland

20 March 2025

💫 Everyone has the right to housing stability in Ireland. 🏘️

Recent findings from SHINE’s PI Dr Valesca Lima on discrimination in securing housing are quite significant. The report, entitled “Housing Challenges and Needs of Migrants in Ireland,” highlights the need for policy interventions to strengthen anti-discrimination measures to foster a fairer housing market for all.

Congratulations on this important work! Your dedication to addressing these critical issues is paving the way for meaningful change.

Check out Dr Lima’s original post on LinkedIn.

Link to the article is available below.

The SHINE Project is Featured in today’s DCU Newsletter

13 March 2025

🎉 Exciting news! The SHINE Project, led by Principal Investigator Dr. Valesca Lima, is in the spotlight in today’s Research Newsletter from Dublin City University! Check it out and see the amazing work being done! 🌟

The SHINE Project Joins CitiObs in Addressing Environmental Challenges in Europe

20 January 2025

The community-based environmental monitoring and information system, Citizen Observation (CitiObs), held its inaugural onboarding workshop today for the “CitiObs ALLIANCE CO” project. This initiative brings together 30 Alliance CO groups from across Europe, including the SHINE project, to collaboratively address pressing environmental challenges, such as air and water quality, noise pollution, and urban heat.

During the workshop, representatives from SHINE gained valuable insights from their fellow alliance members that will help further their mission of promoting a healthier and more sustainable social housing environment in Ireland. Recognising the challenges being faced, Alliance CO members pinpointed similar key issues related to policy, funding, government support, and public engagement as critical barriers to addressing these environmental concerns.

CitiObs functions as a collaborative platform, allowing alliance members to share experiences and develop innovative solutions based on diverse case studies presented by various groups. SHINE is particularly eager to share its findings, aiming to provide an overview and propose solutions for health-related issues affecting social housing in Ireland, especially those arising from environmental factors such as poor indoor air quality.

The CitiObs Alliance project is set to continue this year, featuring a series of both online and in-person workshops with the alliance teams. Funded by Horizon Europe, CitiObs emphasises the significance of citizen-led initiatives in shaping inclusive solutions to urban environmental challenges across the region.

(Photo sourced from CitiObs’ Bluesky Account)

Why environmentally sustainable social housing is important – RTE Brainstorm

08 November 2024 

Read SHINE’s latest article on RTE Brainstorm, which discusses the project’s aims and vision of fostering environmentally sustainable social homes in Ireland via our SHINE environmental sensor.

SHINE Team Unveils Environmental Sensor Prototype and Initial Findings

02 October 2024 

The SHINE team had the pleasure of sharing our initial findings and innovative environmental sensor prototype with Susan Vickers of Clúid Housing, our esteemed societal impact champion, and experts from Dublin City University’s Global Challenges Program, Dr Shirley Coyle and Dr Roman-Gabriel Olar. Their valuable insights will guide us further in enhancing your home’s indoor air quality. Keep an eye out as we progress to sensor testing very soon. Exciting times! #ResearchIreland #NationalChallengeFund #NextGenerationEU

Why urban regeneration projects need proper input from citizens – RTE Brainstorm

08 August 2024 

Read SHINE’s lead investigator’s new article on RTE Brainstorm regarding the importance of citizens’ participation in the successful development of urban regeneration plans.

SHINE team attends Healthy Homes Ireland’s panel discussion at the Buswell Hotel

20 June 2024 

The SHINE team welcomes various perspectives as we continuously seek solutions that can help both tenants and the AHB sector address the environmental sustainability challenges in social housing while contributing to Ireland’s national decarbonisation goals.

SHINE attends roundtable discussion hosted by DCU Age-Friendly University

18 June 2024 

SHINE principal investigator, Dr Valesca Lima, presented one of the critical issues in health and social housing in Ireland to the Dutch housing and care delegates in a roundtable discussion hosted by DCU Age-Friendly University on Friday, 14 June.