Councillors dub rise for council tenants “stealth austerity”

Left-wing councillors on Dublin City Council have said they will vote against proposed rent increases for Dublin City Council tenants.

Under the new plans, the main tenant’s rent will rise from 15% to 18% of net income, the weekly maximum charge for subsidiary earners doubles from €21 to €40 and the maximum collected from subsidiary earners in a household is removed totally.

Self-employed tenants are assumed to earn €700 per week for assessment purposes, up from €500 or €560 per week for people with skilled trade, and caps on maximum weekly rent per housing type are removed. 

It is estimated that the funding will raise an extra €35.5 million extra per year for the council, at a time when the council is running at a €55.5 million “funding gap” in its housing maintenance budget.

Sinn Féin leader on Dublin City Council, Daithí Doolan, said that his party will oppose any increases for council tenants.

Doolan said, “there has been ongoing negotiations with city council management and other parties about reform to the rental system in Dublin City. During this whole process, Sinn Féin have worked to minimise the impact on low-income tenants.”

The Ballyfermot-Drimnagh councillor said, “families are really struggling with the cost of living crisis. People are being pushed to the pin of their collar trying to cover the cost of food, heating and fuel. The last thing working families need is a rent increase.”

“Families in council housing are in overcrowded conditions, poorly insulated homes, requiring urgent upgrades. Demanding more rent is an insult,” he said.

“Families with grown children cannot be demanding more money from them to cover a rent increase while the same children are struggling to save for a mortgage or a deposit.

Doolan said that Sinn Féin’s nine councillors on Dublin City Council will object to any planned rises in this year’s Budget, and said that the councillors would meet with tenant groups to discuss what can be done. 

Doolan stated “the real problem is that central government are starving Dublin City Council of essential funding to cover maintenance of council housing.”

“Only last month, the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael government were applauding themselves on the huge budget surplus. Some of that money must be invested in housing here in Dublin.”

People Before Profit’s two concillors will join Sinn Féin in objecting to the planned rise.

Ballymun-Finglas councillor Conor Reddy said that working class families would be paying the price to plug the gaps in Dublin City Council’s coffers, and his party would not support it.

“This is the biggest rent hike council tenants have seen in thirty years, and it’s a blanket increase that punishes tenants for government neglect.”

Reddy said, “whether you live in a brand-new A-rated home or an old, cold, damp flat, you’ll pay more.”

“People are already struggling. We’re in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, close to 500,000 people were in arrears on their energy bills in September, grocery prices have shot up, and many families are now hanging by a thread; DCC tenants haven’t got this money to pay. 

Southside councillor Hazel De Nortúin dubbed the move “austerity by stealth.”

“Council management are being forced to act like accountants because the state has walked away from its responsibility to fund public housing.”

“The Council’s job is to provide safe, affordable homes, not to claw money out of tenants to balance the books,” the Ballyfermot-Drimnagh councillor said.

With Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour and The Greens holding a majority on Dublin City Council, the planned rise is likely to go ahead.