Landlords selling properties leading to rise in homelessness

The mass decision by landlords to sell properties, coming out of the same cost-of-living crisis it fuels, is expected to cause a further spike in homelessness figures.

The Irish Property Owner's Association (IPOA) is demanding tax reductions and relaxation of regulations to make remaining in the leasing business more appealing.

The IPOA previously expressed contempt against the eviction ban, due to expire in April, for being "highly discriminatory against landlords."

Finding affordable housing in Ireland is already an obstacle, especially for less economically stable and younger renters. Private rent in Ireland has increased by 84 percent over the past decade.

Almost a third of the Irish population is struggling amidst the on-going cost-of-living crisis.

The exodus puts many tenants at risk of homelessness, especially as the on-mass selling of properties to buy-to-lets without expectation of further limits the too-few amount of properties available on the rental market.

Threshold, a "national charity providing housing advice and preventing homelessness," found that of the notices of termination brought to them for review, 60 percent of them were invalid in the Q4 quarter.

40 percent of terminations due to the selling of property were also invalid.

Renters, you have rights!

As we saw across the last three months of 2022, receiving a rent hike notice or an eviction notice for any reason does not necessarily mean you must leave your home. We're here to help you #OwnYourRights.

Get help now: https://t.co/S69pJKL8P8 pic.twitter.com/FokDZlFJh1

— Threshold (@ThresholdIRE) January 17, 2023

Threshold writes in their quarterly report that 36 percent of their received queries related to the security of tenure involved tenancy termination. 12 percent involved general termination enquiries, 8 percent involved rent increase enquiries, and 3 percent involved accessing social housing.

Of those who reached out to Threshold, 41 percent of individuals were single member households and 20 percent single parent households.

35 percent of people Threshold helped were between ages 25 to 34, and 31 percent were between ages of 35 to 44.

More and more affordable rental properties are becoming too costly to rent on the minimum liveable wage. Simon Communities, a community organisation that supports the homeless, found only 41 properties available to those on Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) in December, with only one of those being within standard HAP limits.

In the meantime, support and outreach teams, like Threshold, Simon Communities, Focus Ireland, and Homeless Dublin have focused on extending aid to individuals facing homelessness.

"Please continue to alert #DublinOutreach teams if you see anyone sleeping rough," tweeted Homeless Dublin, "We respond to all alerts & you can help us provide vital support."

Please continue to alert #DublinOutreach teams if you see anyone sleeping rough. We respond to all alerts & you can help us provide vital support. Please use our Dublin Rough Sleeper Alerts App, our website https://t.co/FV9YxNfGkm or Tel: 01-8720185. pic.twitter.com/QJ7QgP7VeW

— Homeless Dublin (@HomelessDublin) January 16, 2023