The high cost of housing is the number one worry for Dublin workers
A new study also found that employees were concerned about taxes and childcare.
THE HIGH COST of housing is the main concern for people employed by companies in the Dublin region, a new study has found.
According to a survey by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, around half of all the complaints heard from employees relate to either the cost or availability of housing.
The poll was carried out amongst 298 companies based in the Dublin region, which includes commuter areas such as Kildare and parts of Louth, during the first 10 days of December.
One in three businesses surveyed reported that the cost of accommodation was the single most common concern relayed by employees.
A further 14% said the availability of housing was the gripe they hear most from workers.
Many employees also complained about high levels of personal taxation. Just under one in four employers said that this was the complaint they heard most from staff.
Childcare costs – cited as the biggest worry by 13% of firms – and congestion (12%) were, respectively, the fourth and fifth most common worker complaints.
Housing shortfall
Dublin Chamber CEO Mary Rose Burke said that the survey “shows that the housing shortage is being felt across the entire social spectrum”.
“While much of the focus remains on the homelessness issue, the lack of affordable housing is now a big problem for workers in Dublin,” she said.
“An adequate supply of housing is crucial to the health of the economy, but a lack of building over the past decade has left a major shortfall in Dublin’s housing stock.”
Georgian houses in Dublin city centre
Burke added that the results “highlight the need for the government to show urgency in its response to the housing crisis”.
She said that while Dublin is always looking to attract foreign direct investment, “at the moment we are struggling to accommodate domestic demand”.
“This will hamper business prospects if it is not properly addressed with an ambitious expansion in housing capacity,” she said.
Housing issue response
Authorities have recently introduced several measures in an effort to tackle the high cost of housing.
In the budget, Finance Minister Michael Noonan announced a scheme to provide a tax rebate to first time buyers, while the Central Bank announced in November that it is relaxing its mortgage rules for first time buyers.
The government is also looking to introduce ‘rent pressure zones’, regions where there is sustained tension in the rental market, in an effort to reign in rising rents.
