A Laois TD has called for a solution for families who are ‘trapped in the rental market’ because they do not qualify to be on the council waiting list.
In Laois, the maximum income a single person can be on is €25,000 while for a family it is €30,000.
Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley says that a number of people are families are just earning more than this but not enough to get a mortgage – so they are forced into the private rental market.
Speaking in the Dail, he said: “Across Laois and Offaly, there are thousands of families trapped in the rental market at the mercy of rack-renting landlords.
“Unfortunately for many of these families, their income is just above the very low threshold required of council housing waiting lists and at the same time they have no hope of a mortgage off a bank.
“Sinn Féin’s proposals are aimed at providing a solution for these workers and families, the real squeezed middle, who have no access to affordable or cost-rental housing.
“The lack of ambition or urgency from the ‘Conservative Coalition’ is difficult to understand.
“In Laois, rents are up 7.3% to an average of €1002 compared to last year. Offaly is showing a similar increase, up 5.7% to €935.
“A family of four can’t get on the housing waiting list if they earn over €528 a week and a couple without children can’t have an income above €504. This is totally unsustainable. Sinn Féin wants to deliver solutions for these workers and their families.
“We want a minimum of 100,000 public homes delivered over the next five years through a mix of social, cost-rental and affordable housing to buy. No family should be paying more than 30% of their income on housing and it should be accessible for couples earning below €75,000 and single people below €50,000.
“Our proposal offers an alternative housing model led by the State to deal with the housing and rental crisis.’
“The market only model failed, and the new Government has an opportunity to show whether it is on the side of the workers and their families, or the side of landlords and developers.
“A firm plan and clear targets are necessary to enable those workers families trapped in insecure private rental accommodation to provide a home for themselves.”
