The phenomenal interest in 46 apartments being offered at discounted rents to key workers in Dublin’s south city highlights the pent-up demand for genuinely affordable housing, according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne.
Deputy Hearne, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said:
“Since the scheme at Google’s Boland Mills Quarter was launched by Clúid Housing last week, more than 2,300 applications have been received. This figure is likely to be even higher by the time applications close on March 5.
“The level of interest shows the urgent need for genuinely affordable housing to be delivered on a massive scale in this country.
“However, the discounted rents at Boland Mills cannot be described as genuinely affordable.
“To be eligible for the apartments, the rent must not exceed 35 per cent of your household income. In this scheme, discounted rent for a two-bed apartment is €1,710 and €1,850 for a three-bed. That means to qualify for one of these apartments, you would need an income in the region of €60,000.
“The reality is that not many young teachers, nurses and guards are earning that level of income. For example, for a teacher earning €45,000, €1,710 a month would represent 46 per cent of their salary.
“This scheme highlights the need for housing that is actually affordable to average income workers. Unfortunately, our housing system is not delivering this. The market is broken and government policy is failing.
“We need a new direction and fresh approach to housing to provide homes for the locked-out generation.”
February 26, 2025