In the half dozen years before Mary Osakwe and her relatives relocated to their housing association abode in Balbriggan, they had had to change locations seven times primarily due to private landlords’ decisions to sell their properties. Osakwe distinctly remembers a stressful instance where they got a notice to leave within 45 days, with the deadline falling two weeks prior to the arrival of her second child.
In 2021, Osakwe and her family, which includes her spouse and two small children, successfully got a three-bedroom house in Balbriggan’s cost-rental scheme at Taylor Hill. After moving in, they joined a community WhatsApp group where a neighbour suggested a communal bulb planting session to ensure a beautiful flower display in the shared spaces the subsequent spring. This prompted Osakwe to actively participate due to the promise of witnessing the flowers bloom courtesy of their secure, lifetime tenancy. This newfound stability also allowed them to begin building friendships and actively engage with the community. Fast forward three years, Osakwe now presides over the residents association.
Osakwe shared her truth on a recent Thursday during the debut of a report called Security, Affordability and Place. It’s a comprehensive study on cost rental housing, a slowly expanding housing model designed to offer secure and affordable, high-quality accommodation for individuals who commonly cannot afford private sector housing. The report, commissioned by approved housing bodies like Clúid, Tuath and Respond, indicates potential challenges which experienced by Osakwe and her fellow residents, which is mainly the insufficient infrastructure available to these new suburban developments.
Narrating her ongoing battle, she speaks of the fight for infrastructure that should have been a focus even before the construction started in the region. The lack of community areas, local GP surgeries, creche facilities – and a looming school place shortage due to the ongoing construction boom in the locality, is a hot topic among her community members.
The report addresses the issue of affordability, indicating that the rents for dwellings occupied by between a quarter and a third of tenants may not necessarily meet the most frequently used affordability benchmark based on the proportion of net household income it takes up.
Osakwe mentions that the €1,150 monthly rent she and her partner pay is significantly lower than the local market rate. She also adds that there are set procedures for managing future rent increases which brings some financial comfort. Moreover, there are substantial cost savings on utilities such as heating because their property is a new, energy-efficient build.
UCD Social Policy Lecturer, Michael Byrne, one of the authors of the report, conveys that cost remains a pertinent issue for a considerable fraction of current renters and potentially for more as they face income drops upon retirement. Dr Byrne adds, “We mustn’t disregard the victories in terms of affordability. A substantial group have seen a reduction in their housing expenses as a result of their move into this sector, and they’re living in a much superior property than the private rented accommodation they were in previously. However, the report identifies ongoing challenges and presents several potential solutions for addressing costs, such as grants to housing associations or subsidised interest rates on the loans they take out to purchase properties.”
As for the communities built around these homes, one tenant shared, “It’s encouraging to see the report recognises that while our homes are the starting point of a community, we, the residents, are the ones who truly shape it.”