Over the years, Ireland has been characterised by deep-rooted divisions, embodied in multiple facets of the society, as varied and intricate as slicing a courgette in a late-night kitchen commercial. Time-honoured divisions that persist till today are evident in our political sphere, religion, and even in our tea preference – Barry’s or Lyons. The Dublin 4 accent stands distinctively against the national framework. Sometimes, we have gone as far as creating distinctions, characterising our neighbours beyond the invisible county borders as foreigners with peculiar customs, particularly noticeable during the GAA seasons.
However, the present-day Ireland is seeing the emergence of a profound division, surpassing the colour of football shirts or choices made on a Sunday morning. The rift between tenants and home-owners has been magnified. Tenants are consumed by a constant struggle to accumulate enough for a home deposit while grappling with soaring rents and house prices. On the other hand, there are those fortunate enough to break free from this cycle and secure a home of their own that they can ornament beyond the typical white walls imposed by landlords.
In the era of our forebears, owning a home was an achievable goal – as common and unquestioned as smoking in vehicles with children present. The notion of possessing a lifelong home was a given, a reality that has drastically morphed into a privilege in this day and age. Today, home-ownership is an elusive dream for many, a bitter truth that becomes glaring every time there is a hike in rent or when an average house is audaciously listed for half a million euros, with pictures showcasing unmade beds.
The limited availability of resources has often bred mistrust among us all. This is manifested in our conversations with new people we meet, which often seem like tense scenes from an old western movie. Homeowners who were not able to purchase a property in their desired location and had to end up settling further away, often try to gauge your affluence based on your belongings or your partner’s attractiveness. Their reaction will be doubly interesting if you happen to live in the same area they coveted- they’ll keenly analyse every detail trying to work out how you managed it when they couldn’t. Then, with a smirk, they typically come out with the “So, you’re just a tenant, aren’t you?” comment, implying that paying expensive rents is somehow less significant than their own mortgage repayments.
In Ireland, it’s acknowledged that the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ has become a lifesaver for first-time property purchasers, a necessary strategy in the current housing market. Anyone would be thrilled if they were presented a handy €40k packed in a surprising surprise from grandmum. Yet, it is just as common to find satisfaction from the idea that your friends needed a bit of ‘extra help’ to accomplish their ambitions. This eases the feeling of being left out, and it’s easier to chastise others for having life delivered on a platter rather than accept our own shortcomings.
The envy can be reciprocal, though. Those in the rental market or still at their parental homes are apt to pry into the financial dynamics of homeowners as well. Details of such are often ungloved during a casual car chat after a social gathering. For instance, “They said they’ve purchased a house. But isn’t she just an artist with a part-time gallery job, and doesn’t he run an unprofitable food truck selling sushi-topped pizzas? Maybe they had a leg-up from their family. Let me check her social media for any sign of a lavish lifestyle. There you have it – a collection of family ski trip photos from 2012.”
Although mistrust can deepen divisions; prompted by checking wages on Glassdoor.com or scrutinising parental connections on LinkedIn, comrades have the capability to mend this growing rift. Based on my personal experiences, there seems to be an implicit agreement amongst sincere individuals to be truthful and compassionate under such circumstances. When a chum bought a residence at only 25 in the coveted suburbs of Sydney on a newbie journalist’s wage (equivalent to two pins and a coffee reward card missing a solitary stamp to secure a freebie), she candidly revealed that her parents had given her the down payment. By owning up to her advantage, she made the rest of us accept the fact that we couldn’t quite match her accomplishment yet. Mates who candidly share their strategies – like moving back in with parents to save money or selling company stocks to afford a house – help to reduce the resentment. I wish them nothing but success, truly; and there isn’t a hint of Gwyneth Paltrow-style insincerity in my gesture. Who wouldn’t appreciate a bit of lending hand? However, it shouldn’t be necessary to get assistance to provide shelter for ourselves. This shared struggle should be the unifying bond amongst our conflicting groups, especially leading into election times.