Irish Family’s Homeownership Dream Halted, Living in Mobile Home

A man, who resides in a mobile home with his young family, has stated that achieving homeownership in the Republic of Ireland “feels impossible”. Eoin McGovern, a resident of County Cavan, experienced a mortgage application denial following his wife’s pregnancy, leading them to relocate to a mobile home situated on his mother’s property. He expressed, “I would just love for my kids to have their own bedroom. Being confined to a small space is very disheartening.” Housing stands as a prominent and highly debated topic in the current Irish election. The individual, originally from Ballyhaise, shares his residence with his partner and their two young children. He recounted: “We had an initial mortgage acceptance offer from our bank, but then when my partner received her first maternity payment into our account, everything changed and the mortgage was denied.” Mr. McGovern further stated: “It was a very tough time, because we fell between the cracks. We couldn’t afford to rent and we’re above the threshold to qualify for social housing.“The idea for the mobile home was a temporary solution until we both could start working again when the kids were old enough for creche and we would be in a position to re-apply for a mortgage, but it hasn’t worked out that way.” Cavan County Council contacted the 31-year-old hotel worker, notifying him that the mobile home violated regulations due to the absence of planning permission. He commented: “I don’t blame the council, I honestly didn’t realise you needed planning permission because it’s on wheels on my mother’s property.” He added, “The council could come tomorrow and take it away, I pray to God that doesn’t happen and I just hope we’re able to get a temporary planning exemption, just to give us some sort of chance.” BBC News NI reached out to Cavan Council; however, a spokesperson indicated that they do not provide comments on individual cases. While specific situations differ, Mr. McGovern and his family are not unique in their predicament. As of September this year, the average property price in the Republic of Ireland stood at €346,000 (£289,000), whereas in Northern Ireland, the average price is £190,000. James Spring works as an estate agent in County Cavan. He suggests that given these property values, it is understandable that young couples encounter difficulties in purchasing their initial home. He stated: “The number one story I hear is about mortgages expiring after six months, then you have to re-submit everything again and if your circumstances have changed, your mortgage offer can be in doubt.“It’s why housing is such a big issue in this election because young people are struggling, they’re getting out-competed in the market and lending rules with banks seem to have really tightened up.” Mr. Spring identified the problem as a “supply and demand” imbalance, citing insufficient housing construction in the Republic. Waiting lists and social housing also present challenges, with approximately 58,000 individuals currently on the social housing waiting list in the Republic. Martin Loughran holds the position of chief commercial and development officer at Tuath Housing. The organization recently completed an 11-storey apartment building located in Drogheda, County Louth. These residences are designated for occupation by individuals and families currently on the social housing waiting list. Mr. Loughran is of the opinion that a significant rise in similar projects across Ireland will be necessary to reduce the waiting list. Recent news in Northern Ireland has highlighted that inadequate access to water and sewerage systems is impeding people from moving into homes, including social housing developments. Mr. Loughran noted that a comparable issue exists in the Republic. He further stated: “There has been talk of setting up a Department for Infrastructure in the Republic of Ireland to support the Department of Housing in government, we would be supportive of that and I think it’s needed.” Numerous commentators suggest that the Republic’s persistent housing challenges originate from the financial crisis of the late 2000s. This period led to a decrease in public investment, and some argue that subsequent governments have since found it difficult to meet housing targets. Regardless of the underlying reasons, individuals such as Eoin McGovern and his family perceive the system as being disadvantageous to them. He remarked: “If I had a time machine I would try and get a house before I had kids because when you’re trying to get a decent mortgage with dependents in this country, it’s nearly impossible.“This election will come and go, but things are going to stay very tough out there for families like us for a while yet.”