THERE WERE TWO big announcements about ‘affordable’ apartments in Dublin during the week, but many people are still priced out of the new developments.

The new apartments – at Bolands Mills in the city centre and a site near the Phoenix Park in Dublin 7 – are part of wider plans to alleviate the housing shortage in the capital.

Affordable housing is often defined as when a person is spending less than 35% of their salary on rent or mortgage repayments.

The average monthly mortgage repayment was around €1,400 nationally in 2023, according to Central Bank statistics. Many households are paying more than this in rent every month, without the same security of tenure, Dr Lorcan Sirr pointed out. 

As Ireland continues to battle a housing crisis and demand far outstrips supply, Sirr said “the concept of what’s affordable seems to be increasing all the time”.

So today we’re asking you: What do you consider to be affordable rent? (For argument’s sake, take a two-bed apartment in a populated area with utilities included).