When rent and mortgage interest payments are taken into account, this number jumps to 952,185 – almost one in every five of the population. The impact is particularly severe on children, with more than 93,000 more children living in households at risk of poverty when rent and mortgage interest costs are factored in, bringing the total to almost 300,000 children. Renters hit hardestIt won’t be a surprise to most renters that the spiralling cost of rent in the past decade has had a significant impact on their poverty risk. When the cost of rent or mortgage interest is factored in, the rate of poverty risk amongst renters jumps from 27.6% to a staggering 44.7% – more than two in five. Addressing affordability of the home, be it in rent or mortgage payments, must be a key priority for Government.

Source: Irish Examiner January 05, 2022 21:49 UTC