Warning That Most People “Won’t Even Bother Working” Over Clare Housing Supply Issues

The Chair of Clare County Council’s housing Committee fears most people “won’t even bother working” over ongoing housing supply issues.

It comes as the latest Daft.ie report has shown that Clare has seen one of the highest increases in rental prices in the country.

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The latest Daft.ie report shows Clare rents have more than doubled from where they were at their lowest point.

It now costs €1,061 on average to rent a home in this county, which is a rise of nearly 18 percent in the past year and more than 5 percent in the past three months alone.

The analysis suggests that in some cases homeowners in this county would be paying less than half of average rental costs on mortgage repayments.

Author of the report, Economist Ronan Lyons says it’s the culmination of two things; the creeping scarcity of rental homes, which started in cities and spread and the migration of people from urban centres to rural areas like Clare.

He believes the only solution is to build new rental homes, something he admits there’s no sign of anywhere in the Midwest region.

The Chair of Clare County Council’s Housing Committee is warning that the accommodation crisis is worsening in this county, with people turning to the local authority, not as a last option, but as their first.

There’s currently more than 3,000 people on the social housing list in the county, but the local authority is only in a position to deliver just over 200 new houses over a four-year period.

Councillor Gerry Flynn has previously called on the Housing Minister to designate Clare a rent pressure zone to provide renters here with the same level of protection against rent hikes as other areas.

The Shannon Independent Councillor fears that if something isn’t done to tackle supply issues for private renters, people “won’t even bother working” anymore.