It’s claimed people born and raised in parts of Clare are being forced to leave their hometown due to the housing crisis.
A prolonged lack of long term rental supply, coupled with unsustainable rents has been a focus of West and North Clare Councillors this week.
Calls have been made for an emergency-like response akin to the pandemic, which would result in dramatic, short term measures aimed at tackling the housing shortage in North and West Clare.
This week’s meeting of West Clare Councillors has heard concerns raised that rents in the area are approaching unsustainable levels, as the area also grapples with a prolonged lack of long term rental supply.
Green Councillor Liam Grant wants areas such as Lahinch, Ennistymon and Kilkee to be designated Rent Pressure Zones, but this currently can’t happen, as nowhere in Clare has met the relevant criteria to be appointed one by the Residential Tenancies Board.
It’s estimated there are around 250 active Air BnB listings in the West of the county, which earn on average over €1,400 per month.
Lahinch-based Councillor Grant says measures should be examined by the Government to entice people with second homes to rent them out long term.
A Kilkee Councillor has criticised the narrow focus of national policy saying while the area may not be a technical rent pressure zone, it is a housing pressure zone.
Cillian Murphy says an increasing number of people are being forced out of their hometown, because they can’t get long term rentals and are also competing in an international market place for the purchase of a house.
The Fianna Fáil Councillor says legislation is urgently needed, which will incentivise commercial owners of property to switch from short term letting to long term rental.
