Some people are playing the system. They are living with their mother, but they make themselves homeless so that they get priority on the housing list.
Yes they are, that is true no doubt, but as McVerry pointed out, all systems are played by some or other. For the record, when I say 'played', I mean using the system to gain unfair or disproportionate favour but at all times within the rules.
3,000 social housing offers have been turned down in the last two years. 20% of Dublin City Council offers have been turned down. The refusal rate in Cork is 40%. People are holding out for the perfect house. Cork City Council estimated that only 10% of refusals were justified.
How many of these refusals are by people who are living with their mother but make themselves homeless?
Relative to people who are working, and living with parents but turned down the accommodation because of location, conditions of accommodation etc?
The point is, the increasing housing crisis is not solely on foot of people 'gaming' the system - it is unlikely in my view that there was a sudden increase of gamers that propelled this crisis. These people make good headlines and provoke outcry, but in real terms they are a tiny portion of the housing problem.
I would hazard a guess, based on the housing crash, that the bulk of new people/families on the housing list is account of working people who lost jobs and subsequently homes, and are trying desperately to get back into some form of reasonable accommodation that they can accept - ie they refuse to be housed in traditional social housing estates where there is a level of known social disadvantage, whether that disadvantage is real or not.
Comments like this in the, now locked, other thread about housing indicates that I may not be far off the mark?
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Whilst it is welcome news for those on a waiting list, I would be very surprised if there was a rush by private house buyers to buy in a development where over half the units (79+15+58) are likely to be social units."