Dublin's housing shortage - Families despair at rising rents | DW Documentary

Ireland is facing a short-fall of hundreds of thousands of homes, especially in Dublin. As rents rise, so does homelessness. With no house or apartment, Jordyn, Jonathan and their young daughter Delilah have to find a new place to sleep every night.

The young family has been searching for permanent accommodation in Ireland's capital for ten months. Their everyday life involves appointments with the local authorities and endless hours spent on hold on the telephone. They are unable to afford Dublin’s high rents, and social housing seems beyond their reach. Each day, Jordyn, Jonathan and their daughter try to arrange to stay the night with friends or relatives.

Justin is a social worker. He previously worked with homeless people in a privately run emergency shelter. But when the shelter was sold, he lost his job and his home. Now, he spends his days combing through offers on the overpriced housing market. But the few available homes are usually either unaffordable or unsuitable. Single rooms, and even individual beds, are being rented out at fantastical prices.

Conor is currently completing his doctoral thesis, and lives with his girlfriend in a tiny apartment. The housing shortage has turned him into a political activist: he’s running for a seat on the city council and helping to raise awareness of the problem. He collects signatures for a petition to stop apartments being left empty, and for more affordable housing.

Despite the government’s promises, Ireland remains in the midst of a seemingly never-ending housing crisis. For Jordyn, Jonathan and little Delilah, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. But for many others, the situation remains desperate.

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