How a Trip to Ireland Opened My Eyes to the Housing Crisis We’re All Facing
How Ireland’s Housing Crisis Mirrors New York City’s Struggle for Home
I recently found myself in Ireland, surrounded by more shades of green than I ever knew existed—a setting so far removed from New York’s concrete grid that it felt like I’d landed in an entirely different world. For a few days, it seemed like the ultimate escape from the endless hum of New York City. But while Ireland offered the scenic calm I craved, I soon discovered that true escape isn’t so simple.
My first morning in Galway started idyllic enough. I was in a cozy bed-and-breakfast dining room, sipping tea and eating toast so perfect it could have been in a butter commercial. The TV played in the background, filling the room with snippets of local news delivered in the kind of rich Irish accent you only hear in movies. Then I caught it—a phrase I know all too well: housing crisis. My brain snapped back to New York, to brokers’ fees, Craigslist scams, and apartments the size of closets. I had flown 3,000 miles only to hear the same story: unaffordable rents, limited options, and people stretched too thin.
Later, I joined a tour led by a local college student who had clearly memorized every historic stone in Galway’s charming streets. She pointed out sites with a pride as rich as her love for her hometown (although not the food), but when the subject of housing came up, her passion shifted. She sighed and said, “Just six years ago, my brother only paid 800 dollars for a room. Now, I’m stuck paying over 2,000 euros.” Her voice carried a hint of sibling resentment—nothing encapsulates “modern Ireland” quite like knowing your older brother had it easier with rent.
As we traveled from Galway to Killarney and finally to Dublin, housing seemed to infiltrate every conversation. In Dublin, our new guide shared her sister’s ongoing quest for a place of her own—a two-year endeavor that had reluctantly led her back to her parents’ house. “At my age,” she said, half-joking, “I should have a two-bedroom, not be sharing a room at home.” Her laugh was layered with that familiar resignation—the kind of reluctant acceptance that only a housing crisis can inspire.
By the time I left, I felt unexpectedly connected to Ireland in a way I hadn’t anticipated. For a country of five million, it shares unsettling common ground with New York City: a lack of affordable housing, escalating rents, and a widening gap between wages and housing costs. Both NYC and Ireland are experiencing an influx of people seeking economic opportunities, struggling to accommodate this growth sustainably. Both places are ending up with the same result: a lot of people wondering if their idea of “home” is slipping further out of reach.
My journey through Ireland’s towns and cities left me thinking deeply about home and how elusive it can feel. This isn’t just Ireland’s struggle—it’s one I know all too well from life in New York City. Both places, though rooted in different histories, reveal similar, complex struggles for affordable and accessible housing. Both regions face severe shortages, inflated rents, and markets tilted toward private and institutional investors, making it increasingly difficult for middle- and lower-income residents to secure stable homes.
New York City’s soaring housing costs aren’t just a result of demand—they’re also tied to outdated laws that make building new homes nearly impossible or prohibitively expensive. The principles of supply and demand dictate that a limited housing supply, coupled with overwhelming demand to live in the city, drives rental and purchase prices higher. The city’s zoning regulations hinder the development of denser housing, while historic preservation laws restrict modifications to many existing structures, further stifling potential solutions to the housing crisis. This combination not only escalates housing expenses but also forces long-time residents out of the city, jeopardizing the rich diversity that makes New York such an attractive place to call home.
Ireland’s housing crisis is deeply affected by a mix of underinvestment, market imbalances, and restrictive policies that hinder development. A historical preference for homeownership has left the rental market underdeveloped, and the 2008 financial crash worsened the issue by halting construction, creating a housing deficit that continues to grow. While urban populations, particularly in Dublin, have soared, strict planning and zoning regulations, compounded by local opposition have delayed much-needed construction. This opposition and the stringent zoning laws drive up project timelines and costs, further fueling demand-supply imbalances that have led rents to unsustainable levels. In Dublin, I couldn’t help but notice how its skyline remains dominated by low-rise buildings. Locals told me they resist high-rises for fear of losing sunlight—a sentiment that underscores how deeply personal urban development debates can be.
The scale of this housing shortfall is now starkly evident. Ireland’s Housing Commission estimates a current shortage of 212,500 to 256,000 homes, with government targets unable to meet this demand. Rising housing prices, which have surged 75% over the past decade compared to only a 27% wage increase, make affordability a worsening challenge. The housing gap affects not only young adults and low-income households but now increasingly impacts Ireland's aging population as well. In this environment, restrictive zoning, high rents, and local resistance to new development create formidable barriers, making the need for systemic reform urgent to provide accessible and affordable housing across Ireland.
Despite their distinct contexts, both New York City and Ireland face affordability crises spurred by housing shortages. In both places, restrictive zoning and planning regulations slow the process of building new homes, adding to the supply shortages.
Solutions
The political figures in both New York City and Ireland are acutely aware of the pressing housing crisis, and their promises often evoke a sense of déjà vu. Ireland’s prime minister has vowed to deliver 250,000 homes in the next five years, a pledge that remarkably echoes Eric Adams’s own “moonshot” plan of 500,000 new homes over the coming decade.1
These parallel aspirations reflect a shared urgency to address the housing shortage. Liberalizing construction regulations in both New York City and Ireland presents a promising opportunity to tackle their respective housing crises. These laws, often rooted in mid-20th century regulations, can be amended with relatively simple legislative changes. Allowing landowners greater freedom to develop residential properties—whether it means building three to five-story apartment complexes in Brooklyn or introducing denser housing options in Dublin—could lead to an influx of new homes, easing supply constraints and ultimately reducing rental and purchase costs.
New York City and Ireland are proposing ambitious solutions to tackle their respective housing crises, focusing on increasing supply and reforming existing systems. NYC's "City of Yes" plan, seeks to modernize zoning laws to enable the construction of 100,000 new housing units over 15 years, while also addressing restrictive regulations like parking mandates.2 In Ireland, Labour’s housing policy aims to build at least 50,000 new homes annually through state-led efforts, including a dedicated State Construction Company to stabilize delivery and a streamlined process for repurposing vacant and derelict properties. While NYC's plan relies heavily on private sector development within a reformed zoning framework, Ireland's approach emphasizes a robust state intervention to ensure sustained housing production and affordability.3 Both solutions acknowledge the need for transformative action but differ in their reliance on public versus private sector leadership.
While some may voice concerns about potential disruptions, like increased construction noise or shifts in neighborhood dynamics, these challenges are surmountable with thoughtful urban planning and gradual population growth. The end result would be a more vibrant urban landscape in both cities, allowing more individuals and families to thrive and invest in their futures while fostering a sense of community.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/250000-homes-simon-harris-makes-housing-promises-at-odds-with-governments-own-targets/a898025851.html
https://gothamist.com/news/mayor-adams-signature-housing-plan-faces-key-test-in-council-thursday?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=nypr-email&utm_campaign=Newsletter+-+Early+Addition+-+20241121&utm_term=still+has+a+tenuous+path+forward+in+the+Council&utm_id=398397&sfmc_id=80732183&utm_content=20241121&nypr_member=Unknown
https://labour.ie/news/2024/11/08/labour-launches-ambitious-plan-for-housing/#:~:text=End%20vacancy%20and%20dereliction,and%20protect%20renters%20across%20Ireland