AFP, Dublin :
Sharing a studio flat in Dublin with two other people, Greek security guard Aris complains about the housing crisis that forces him to live in cramped conditions.
“It’s quite rough,” said Aris, who splits the 850 euros ($970) a month rent for the 30-square-metre flat.
With scant storage space, personal belongings are relegated to the ground. A kitchen hob is within arm’s reach of one mattress, while the other two are pushed together.
“It’s not humane conditions to live in Dublin,” said 42-year-old, who moved to Ireland three years ago.
Rocketing prices have impoverished renters and pushed families into homelessness, leading to weekly protests in the streets of Dublin by affordable housing campaigners.
Aris’s situation is not rare in the capital, which is currently in the midst of a “perfect storm” that is driving the average rent to between 1,600 euros and 2,000 euros.
Increased immigration, depleted stocks of social housing, an aversion to building tall structures and simple greed following a hardscrabble recession are all factors.
Dublin’s increasing role as a tech hub is also bringing high-earners to the city, whilst Airbnb is capitalising on the popularity of the city as a weekend-break destination – to the detriment of people looking for long-term rentals. At one point this year, the property site Daft.ie said there were just 1,258 properties available for long-term rent in Dublin, while Airbnb offered 1,419 short-term lets.
Sharing a studio flat in Dublin with two other people, Greek security guard Aris complains about the housing crisis that forces him to live in cramped conditions.
“It’s quite rough,” said Aris, who splits the 850 euros ($970) a month rent for the 30-square-metre flat.
With scant storage space, personal belongings are relegated to the ground. A kitchen hob is within arm’s reach of one mattress, while the other two are pushed together.
“It’s not humane conditions to live in Dublin,” said 42-year-old, who moved to Ireland three years ago.
Rocketing prices have impoverished renters and pushed families into homelessness, leading to weekly protests in the streets of Dublin by affordable housing campaigners.
Aris’s situation is not rare in the capital, which is currently in the midst of a “perfect storm” that is driving the average rent to between 1,600 euros and 2,000 euros.
Increased immigration, depleted stocks of social housing, an aversion to building tall structures and simple greed following a hardscrabble recession are all factors.
Dublin’s increasing role as a tech hub is also bringing high-earners to the city, whilst Airbnb is capitalising on the popularity of the city as a weekend-break destination – to the detriment of people looking for long-term rentals. At one point this year, the property site Daft.ie said there were just 1,258 properties available for long-term rent in Dublin, while Airbnb offered 1,419 short-term lets.
