Tenants who are 'living to work' will continue pushing back against rent hikes
Protesters say that social housing rent raises only “squeeze money out of tenants who are already struggling,” with more campaigns planned for the coming weeks.
Dublin City Council’s decision to raise rents on council tenants at the budget meeting last Monday has sparked widespread outrage among tenants, housing groups, and politicians. Despite these concerns, councillors passed the controversial budget as a protest raged outside City Hall .
Organised by the Community Action Tenants Union (CATU) and supported by Sinn Fein , People Before Profit, Social Democrats, and some independents, this rally saw affected communities come together and voice their concerns. With tenants stating they are struggling to get by already and "living to work,” many feel in the midst of a cost of living crisis this decision couldn’t have come at a worse time.
As the first major shakeup of the Differential Rent Scheme in 30 years, tenants will see changes implemented from April 6, 2026. The increase applies to all social housing tenancies in Dublin city, including homes owned/leased by the Council and approved housing bodies. and those receiving Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). The level of increase will depend on tenants' individual circumstances.
Leah, a social housing tenant from Ballybough, spoke to Dublin Live at Monday’s protest about the stresses of trying to keep up with expenses while she and her partner look after their daughter with additional needs. She said, despite both working full-time, most of their outgoings and daily income goes toward private therapy and care.
“Our income is already assessed quite high because we work full time, but with every little increase in our wage so much of that is going out,” she said. “I’m here to support the mothers and parents working within council houses.
“I rented council houses all of my life and I paid my rent continuously, which is quite high. We obviously can’t buy it at the moment. A lot of our income goes towards our rent already and I suppose I’m in a little bit of fear trying to balance care and working full time.”
The Council’s rationale behind these rent increases relates to a more €50 million gap in funding for housing maintenance costs. Several councillors who voted in favour of the budget argued these increases were needed in order to up the living standards of those in social housing.
CATU member Fiadh Tubridy said they organised the protest because so many of their members are “living in absolutely atrocious conditions” and that to put the cost of maintenance on low income tenants in a cost of living crisis “is just not acceptable.” “The Council should be pushing central government to allocate more funding to maintenance rather than trying to squeeze that money out of tenants who are struggling already,” she said.
Those in social housing are already living in “very difficult circumstances,” Fiadh said, and any increase will “have a negative impact on their well-being.” She highlighted how adult children living at home with their parents will lead to even larger increases on families living in cramped and overcrowded conditions.
This point was echoed by CATU member James O’Toole who asked how any young adults still living at home with their parents can be expected to get a mortgage or a home of their own if every increase in their wage also leads to an increase in rent. He said this is the antithesis of the ethos behind social housing as it’s supposed to allow vulnerable people to start putting a bit away for the future.
“People basically have to crawl on their hands and knees through poverty for years to get into social housing, and the differential rent or subsidised rents that people pay means they can actually save for the first time and think about a future for their kids,” he said. “Now the council is saying to social housing tenants we want to pick your pockets to pay for the fact that central government has cut funding to councils.”
He highlighted how even just €15 extra per week has a huge impact on lone-parents who are already doing everything they can to keep up with fuel and energy costs that are “through the roof.” James said “people are angry” and that Monday’s protest is just the beginning of CATU’s campaign against the rent hikes.
With another protest planned outside City Hall on Monday, December 1, this will coincide with the next general meeting of Dublin City Council . He also said they are planning a march for the new year to demonstrate their opposition toward these increases.
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