A Dublin mother, who is facing a 55% increase in her rent, has described how "her heart is breaking" as she and her children could be homeless before Christmas.
*Sinéad (*not her real name) received a letter from her landlord at the start of the month stating that the rent on her home which "was at €900 would be increased to €1400" and that she had 28 days to pay up or move out.
Under new rent control plans which will be considered by the Cabinet this morning, landlords will only be allowed to increase rent every two years.
The mother-of-two, who has been living in her Dublin 15 bungalow for the past two years, was told by her landlord - a commercial letting agency - that the current rent was well below market value. Unfortunately, she can't afford the extra €500 to pay the rent increase.
Copy of letter *Sinéad received from her landlord on November 8th
A quick scan through Daft for properties in that area for rent at €900 showed up just one property - a studio apartment. Unless Sinéad and her two sons wish to share a bed, this leaves them staring down the barrel of homelessness.
"I feel like a little fish in a big pond - and the sharks are coming to get me"
The new rent measures announced by the Government do nothing to relieve situations such as Sinéad's. It is possible to move up the social housing list based on medical need - one of her sons has been diagnosed with autism - but an application has been made twice and has been turned down on both occasions.
The family have been on the list for eight years, despite the fact that her son has special needs and is now facing possible homelessness.
"I feel like a little fish in a big pond - and the sharks are coming to get me," she said.
"And no matter how many times I shout, there's nothing that's going to be done, and I'm just going to be swallowed up, and the only people that are really going to be suffering are my children.
"And I'm just really feeling for them, because I feel my heart is breaking," she added.
You can hear the report in full below, three-quarters way through:
