HOUSING IS ONE of the original and biggest problems facing Irish society. 

At various times over the past 100 or so years, the government has had to introduce or adjust policy to deal with things like tenement living, suburban spread, and homelessness. 

This week, we have seen the issue arise once more of investors buying up apartments in order to rent them. Simultaneously, the Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien, has introduced an Affordable Housing Bill aimed at boosting housing supply. Several aspects of the bill, including its mooted shared equity scheme for first-time buyers, have been criticised.

This is all currently taking place against the background of a global pandemic, which has put pressure on housing supply in Ireland. 

As housing in Ireland has evolved, so too have the people who need housing. Households take many different forms in 2021 – there are not just renters or buyers. There are adults who live with their parents, people co-parenting between two households, first-time buyers, long-term renters, single people, people who are houseless, and friends living together. 

Here at The Journal, we want to break away from the traditional stereotypes around housing, and create a snapshot of people’s housing stories in 2021.

Whatever your situation, we want to hear from you, to help explore how housing issues and needs can take many forms.

You might be:

• Renting long-term and afraid you won’t be able to buy a house
• Not wanting to buy a house but not sure what the future holds
• Co-parenting, or living with your parents
• Homeless and in need of accommodation 
• A first-time buyer who’s being priced out of your desired area
• An apartment dweller who doesn’t want to live in a house
• Renting with HAP

We want to hear all these stories and more.

Tell us your housing story – how you came to live where you do, the challenges you’ve faced along the way, and your hopes for the future.

We’ll share the results in a future article.

To share your story (which can be anonymous if you wish), send 150-200 words to aoife@thejournal.ie, with the subject line ‘My housing story’.