Student accommodation in Dublin, and other parts of Ireland, has become a national crisis. Both Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin student unions have been combating the crisis with a government that has shown no clear plan to solve the housing crisis.
The price of accommodation in Dublin alone is reaching breaking point as students are being asked to pay €1,000 a month. Now, according to University Times, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) has released a statement condemning a new student housing complex in Dublin, Kavanagh Court (a privately owned residence) for its high prices.
TCDSU released a statement after Trinity sent an email to students advertising the remaining places in Kavanagh Court, which the College has leased for Trinity students. Each apartment has 4 - 6 rooms and costs €239 a week for students to rent. The price has been advertised as “a special rental level” negotiated by Trinity, which TCDSU President Kevin Keane believes is "completely out of touch with the reality facing students today” considering the high cost of living as a student in Dublin.
Trinity People Before Profit are condemning Trinity for crowing about student accommodation for €950 a month” and have called for students “to come together to fight these cowboy landlords and their insatiable greed”.
Keane believes the government is relying on the "goodwill of private developers" which has had a detrimental impact on students searching for accommodation:
Students who rely on SUSI grants and those progressing through college via the Trinity Access Programme will be put under extreme and massively disproportionate strain...education becomes the reserve of the very wealthy, or those based within commuting distance of college.
Kavanagh Court is owned by private student accommodation company Uninest Student Residences. The company lets accommodation in Broadstone Hall and New Mill leased out to students for prices ranging from €180 to €345.
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Twitter is full of comments from students and people trying to find accommodation in Dublin:
James Connolly is spinning in his grave... #rentindublin https://t.co/dSBD67cjCm pic.twitter.com/6z8X7cgPaW
— Órlaith Hurley (@orlaithhurley) September 10, 2017
The price of houses and rent in Dublin is the scariest thing about growing up, its inevitable that i wont be living here
— Cian? (@CianWednesDay) September 6, 2017
It's madness anyone spending €1,000 on a brand new I phone! For that money you could rent a one bedroom apartment in Dublin for 3 days.
— Richie Bree (@RichieBree) September 13, 2017
the cost of rent in dublin is sickening, idk how it's legal and why hasn't the government introduced rent capping by now its barbaric
— liv in lavish (@livgate) September 11, 2017
