As the government courts more international money for Ireland’s rental sector, tenants say they want more transparency around who they are renting from.
At meetings this week, councillors discussed where exactly “family hubs” for homeless families will be, and settled on social and affordable housing figures for Poolbeg West.
As more sites are lined up for office buildings and apartment complexes, some are wondering how best to make sure that local residents benefit from the work it will bring.
Plans for the Poolbeg SDZ would make 10% of 3,500 homes social housing. Councillors want to double or triple that, and add affordable housing too. They’re preparing for a showdown.
A project by developer Hines in Cherrywood, for example, got €15.19 million in funding, meant to encourage affordable housing, for which there is as yet no plan in place.
Dublin City Council can force owners of derelict sites to sell to them, but it has only done that rarely in the past. This year, things are beginning to change.
Last year, we ran a series of maps showing how much you needed to earn to rent an affordable one-bedroom apartment in the city. We’ve updated them and, no surprise, renting’s become pricier.
Even while there’s a shortage of housing for Dubliners, companies have converted residential apartment blocks in the city into holiday lets for tourists.
Dublin City Council and the Department of Housing are looking at further regulating Airbnb, amid concerns it could be contributing to the housing shortage.
