26 August 2024
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Laura Harmon. Picture: Conor McCabe Photography.
Responding to the new Daft.ie report, Councillor Laura Harmon, who is also a Dáil candidate for Cork South Central said: ‘Rent increases and the cost of living are making it very difficult for people to get by in Cork. High rents are making it impossible for many people to save for a mortgage – house price increases and rent increases are skyrocketing each year and your average savings account will yield below 1% annually with fixed deposit savings accounts yielding on average about 3%. With rents increasing and house prices having increased by 8% last year and set to increase by a further 4.5% this year – average working people are being completely priced out of a future. The Government must act to make it easier for people to keep a roof over their heads and to save for a home of their own. I have four younger sisters and three have left Cork and Ireland because they see no future here – this has to change.’
Laura Harmon, who is also a board member of Threshold continued: ‘The housing crisis is affecting all ages with many households having three generations under one roof as people try to save for their own homes. I’m a renter myself and if my generation cannot aspire to own homes, we won’t be able to continue to pay rents when we retire which makes poverty in old age a ticking time bomb and a frightening prospect for many. We need a new approach to housing in Ireland and an emergency response from Government.’