Recent fires in Paris should act as a warning about dangerous housing, writes Sr Stanislaus Kennedy.
Recent fires in Paris have highlighted the appalling housing conditions of people living in the lower end of the private rented sector, many of whom are immigrants. As chairperson of the Immigrant Council of Ireland and with long experience with Focus Ireland, I am very concerned that many people in Ireland, both Irish and people from abroad, are living in overcrowded and unsafe accommodation.
In 2004, 7,232 private rented dwellings were inspected by local authorities and 2,106 of them (almost 30 per cent) were found to be below minimum standards - they were unfit for habitation.
Migrant workers on work permits in Ireland tend to be in low-paid work (often below the minimum wage) and finding good quality affordable accommodation can be difficult. Also, as work permits are of a temporary nature, there is little guarantee of permanent employment and as a result people are forced to stay in rented accommodation.
For many people, the private rented sector is a very weak and insecure form of housing tenure. At the bottom end of this sector many families, especially those who are most vulnerable and who have the least resources, are trapped in poverty and living in very poor quality accommodation, lacking even the most essential facilities. These are totally unsuitable for families and especially for families with young children.
Research by the Immigrant Council of Ireland has shown that many people end up living in basic accommodation and are forced to share small apartments or houses with a number of people in order to afford the high rental costs. Immigrants have talked about their experiences of living in accommodation which is overcrowded, damp, dirty, and rundown, with broken ceilings, furniture or appliances.
Some immigrants on work permits are provided with accommodation owned by their employers and deductions are then taken from their wages. Immigrants have described this housing as "very basic", lacking proper heating systems, with many colleagues being forced to share accommodation.
Of particular concern is the fact that in the last year, many people from the new EU member states have found themselves homeless in Ireland. The social welfare habitual residence conditions introduced in May 2004 prevent even emergency facilities being provided to people while they look for work or are waiting to be paid.
People at the bottom end of the private rented sector are Dublin's invisible homeless. They may not be roofless and we may not see them sleeping on the street, or find them in hostels, but they are homeless nonetheless because they most certainly lack the basic components that constitute a home.
A roof may be the first constituent of a home, but it is not the only one. Being homeless is being without a home, a place where one can be oneself, at ease, secure, at rest. These are the things that are lacking for many people in Ireland who have no alternative but to accept the lower end of the private rented sector. The most worrying aspect of this trend is that it is likely to continue and there are no commitments or plans to reverse the situation.
Over the past two decades, a time of unprecedented prosperity, the Government abandoned the historic policy of providing social housing for those who cannot afford to house themselves. This leaves thousands of families living in misery, insecurity and instability. It is estimated that there are over 55,000 households on the housing waiting lists at present and we need 73,000 new social housing units between 2005 and 2015 if we are to respond to this need. Also, approximately 40 per cent of tenants in the private rented sector (60,000 people) are in receipt of rent supplement.
Government firstly needs to ensure that standards in the private rental sector are adequate by enforcing registration and undertaking regular inspections to ensure compliance with legal regulations.
However, fundamental questions need to be asked and answered by Government with regard to the model of housing that is best suited for Ireland. If we are to tackle our long-running housing crisis we need policymakers to see that our present system, with its over reliance on an insecure, unsuitable, inadequate and very expensive private rented sector, is not working and is detrimental to family life.
Recent tragedies in Paris should act as a warning to Government and prompt it to take action before a similar tragedy happens here.
Sr Stanislaus Kennedy is chairperson of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, a non-governmental organisation that promotes the rights of immigrants