Irish J1 students denied housing in Berkeley because of nationality

Students working in Berkeley, California on a J1 visa say they have encountered difficulties in securing accommodation because they are Irish.

One young woman told The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk that she was advised to “stay off balconies”, almost a year since six students died in a balcony collapse in the city.

Another student — Páraic from Limerick — told reporter Richard Chambers that his group were refused an apartment in the same complex where last June’s tragedy took place.