Concern has emerged that low income earners in Clare are becoming ‘trapped’ due to the rising cost of living.
It comes as the Banner has seen one of the highest percentage increases in the cost of buying a home in the country in the wake of the pandemic.
Midwest Simon says more competition in the housing market is also driving the cost of renting up and forcing more people into homelessness.
House prices in Clare have jumped by more than 17% in the past year, with the average price of a home in the county now around 220,000 euro.
The figure is contained in the latest Daft.ie report, which says it’s an almost 4% jump in just three months and by far the highest increase in Munster.
People are forking out 150,000 on average for a three-bed semi, which is a jump of over 23 percent in a year, while a four-bed will set you back nearly 290,000 euro.
In a separate report, the Real Estate Alliance says homes in Clare are reaching sale agreed in just four weeks, while MyHome.ie suggests that only Carlow and Leitrim have seen greater percentage price rises for four bed homes in the last 12 months.
Author of the Daft.ie report, Ronan Lyons says it’s very likely the price hikes have been driven by changes to work practices during the pandemic.
But Midwest Simon says the rising prices are driving a bigger wedge between higher and lower earners, as the increased competition for property and a shortage of supply is also compounding already rising rents.
CEO Jackie Bonfield says this, coupled with the rising cost of living and the phasing out of of the PUP, is forcing more people in the region into homelessness.
The latest Department of Housing figures show there were 64 homeless adults in Clare at the end of August, despite the Clare Homeless Action Team helping four households exit homelessness throughout the month.
The number of total presentations for its services last month was down around 13 percent, though new presentations increased from 20 to 26.
Jackie Bonfield says urgent solutions are needed.
