A million Irish people at risk of poverty as 'housing subsidies are not working'

Social Justice Ireland said its research highlights that, far from helping families to escape poverty, inadequate government housing subsidies are driving greater numbers into the poverty trap.

Almost one fifth (19%) of the population is living below the poverty line when housing costs are factored in, with an extra 300,000 people forced into poverty in the past year, according to latest research from Social Justice Ireland (SJI).

In a paper on Housing and Poverty 2022, which analyses the impact of housing costs on the poverty rates of various household types, SJI found that 1m people are now at risk of living in poverty when their housing costs are factored in.