INDEPENDENT councillor Ursula Gavan called for a rent freeze to address the spiralling cost of renting in Limerick.
The call was made following the latest Daft.ie report, which showed Limerick rents rocketing by 19 per cent over the past year.
“Whilst our Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael-led government is wedded to private sector landlords, the needs of renters and families are being ignored. The situation in Limerick is beyond crisis point now with rents rising nearly four times the national average,” Cllr Gavan told the Limerick Post.
“Every week I speak to renters who are put to the pin of their collar, leaving them with no chance to save for a home of their own. Average rents in Limerick have shot up to €2,271.
“We need an immediate freezing of rents for a three-year period coupled with a ban on no fault evictions for the same period. Above all we need a massive programme of investment in new public housing.”
The Daft report, she said, shows 150,000 to 200,000 houses are needed nationally, but use of state land, fast-track planning and increased density still feel like still pipedreams.
The City East representative says it doesn’t help that, at local government level, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors are voting to reduce density for new housing schemes as was done in Ballycummin last week.
The rent issue, she told the Limerick Post, is also a major cause of concern for foreign direct investment in Limerick as they scramble to find accommodation for their staff.
