Housing & Planning

Do you think you will never be a homeowner and are you worried about retirement?

ESRI research warns old-age pensioners in years ahead will have to pay rent despite no longer working

A report out today shows that home-ownership rates among young working adults in Ireland have collapsed in the face of rising house price. Photograph: iStock
A report out today shows that home-ownership rates among young working adults in Ireland have collapsed in the face of rising house price. Photograph: iStock
Wed Jul 06 2022 - 11:28

Do you think you may never be able to buy your own home and have you thought about what this will mean when you reach retirement age? Will you tell us your experience and concerns?

A report out on Wednesday shows that home-ownership rates among young working adults in Ireland have collapsed in the face of rising house prices. It warns that more future retirees are likely to be financially exposed when they stop working as they will have to pay rent.

Will you tell us your story? Do you want to own your own house and what factors have stopped you? Are you worried about or have you thought about what will happen when you are older? Do you think you will have to work past retirement age to pay rent? Has this situation forced you to consider moving to a cheaper part of the country, emigration or have conversations with family about inheritance? Or are you a renter who is close to retirement and very worried about your financial future?

The research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found that the share of 25-34-year-olds who own their own home more than halved between 2004 and 2019, falling from 60 per cent to just 27 per cent.

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Lower home ownership rates would mean a higher proportion of households in the rental sector and “the continuation of rental payments into retirement”, the report says.

[ Collapse in young home ownership rates will leave future retirees financially exposed, study finds ]

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