CENSUS SHOWS SHIFT TOWARDS RENTING

06 April 2017

Labour’s Housing Spokesperson, Jan O’Sullivan TD, has said the 2016 Census figures released today, highlight the need to tackle the housing crisis.

According to the figures, around 22 thousand more people were renting across the country in 2016 compared to 2011, with the average weekly rent jumping by 14.8 per cent.

The figures also show that people living in homes they own through a mortgage or loan has fallen by around 8 per cent.

Deputy O’Sullivan commented:

“The Census figures released today confirm how we have moved to being a rental-heavy country, with fewer people living in homes they actually own.

“We know from consistent reports on the private rental sector that rent is on the rise, and today’s official census figures confirm a 14.8 per cent jump in the past five years.

“The reality is that it is simply becoming more and more difficult for people to get on the property ladder, with many getting stuck in the expensive private rental sector for years on end.

“For the first time in many years, we’re also seeing an increase in the size of Irish households, while more households are also living in rented accommodation.

“I have long been calling for measures to be implemented to adequately address the housing crisis, including controlling rent increases, and I again call on the Government to show the urgency this situation requires.”

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