Government urgently needs to act on Student Accommodation shortage – Senator Annie Hoey
- Housing crisis severely impacting on students lives
- Government should implement Labour’s Rental Rights Bill
Senator Annie Hoey, Labour spokesperson on Higher Education has, ahead of the CAO offers tomorrow, called on the Government to act to address the serious shortage of student accommodation in Ireland.
Senator Hoey said “The rising cost of living is already putting a massive strain on students, and the lack of affordable accommodation is making it even harder for them to get by.
“The student accommodation crisis is as bad as ever. Many students are facing a year of torturous commutes, the prospect of having to live in overcrowded or substandard accommodation, or the prospect of dropping out of college altogether.
“Labour’s Renters’ Rights Bill would introduce a rental transparency register which would be a huge help to students, and all renters, when safeguarding against scams. The register would enable prospective tenants of a property to see the rent paid by previous tenants. It’s certainly not a silver bullet but improving access to information in the rental market would be a huge step in the right direction.
“In the meantime, students need to be aware of the risks of rental scams and take steps to protect themselves. I advise students to contact their institution’s accommodation service and their students’ union when looking for accommodation.”