Student accommodation should not be turned into co-living spaces
The Labour Party’s Rebecca Moynihan has called for the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, to issue stronger planning guidelines on student accommodation to stop purpose built student accommodation being turned into co-living spaces.
Councillor Moynihan said:
“Media reports stating that developers of student accommodation are seeking to turn purpose built student spaces into co-living for young professionals are deeply worrying.
“Dublin 8 and other parts of inner city Dublin has seen significant student builds over the last three years. Often these buildings are often marketed to students as ‘luxury living’. Now with co-living spaces becoming the new ‘trend’; there is a real danger of these student accommodation being turned into un-needed co-living spaces.
“Dublin 8 is full of rich Dublin history, but part of that history is poor housing conditions.
“We cannot allow quick build student accommodation be turned into co-living spaces when it suits the developer. We deserve secure, quality housing, not pack-them-in style co-living spaces. Communities need to stand against these types of proposals.
“Minister Murphy’s Department needs to step in and offer stronger guidelines to local authorities and an Bord Pleanála to avoid purpose build accommodation becoming co-living spaces.
“We are better than ‘pack them in’ style living. We need to make clear that we want to see well-built communities, not investment opportunities.”