Irish Examiner view: Housing crisis is not going away

New rent control measures are welcome but the underlying housing crisis still needs addressing

We need to tackle the housing crisis with the same vigour we employed to deal with the pandemic.

The Government has approved measures that will see rent increases linked to general inflation and an extension of rent pressure zones to the end of 2024. Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said the provisions will likely take effect by July, replacing the current cap of 4% on rent increases in RPZs.

That is a welcome intervention but will still only be a stop-gap measure to ease the overall housing crisis. Findings from the latest Tenant Sentiment Survey show a lack of faith in the ability of the current housing system to meet expectations. Just a quarter of renters are doing so by choice, while more than 55% are renting because they cannot afford to buy their own home.