Half of young people are “dissatisfied” with their current housing situation, a report by the National Youth Council of Ireland (NCYI) has found.

The report was conducted on 18–29-year-olds and focused on how they were impacted by some of the most pressing issues facing the country.

Housing was the most concerning issue for 67% of respondents with more than half of respondents reporting a rise in their rental or mortgage payments over the past year.

The cost of living was also the most pressing concern for 62% of respondents, with 44% of respondents feeling financially ‘worse off’ than last year.

Some 22% of respondents also said they 'skipped meals' due to cost in the last 12 months.

'Alarming'

NYCI director of Policy and Advocacy Paul Gordon said the report’s findings were “alarming”.

“It should serve as a wake-up call to Government to address some basic unmet needs for young people,” he said.

“Young people’s fear of being worse off than their parents is real, driven by housing challenges and economic precarity.”

The report also found one in two young people have low mental well-being in Ireland.

Trinity College students blockade the entrance to the Book of Kells during a housing protest last year. Image: Ellen Kenny

Mr Gordon said women have been worse affected by these issues than men.

“Compared with young men, women reported worse mental and financial well-being, lower satisfaction with pay and conditions, were coping worse with the cost-of-living, are more likely to feel they are worse off than their parent’s generation,” he said.

“In response, we are calling on Government to take a far more coordinated approach to tackling the economic and social challenges facing young people by moving quickly to establish a Cabinet Sub-Committee on Young People.”

The NCYI has recommended a wide range of actions for Government to resolve these issues, such as implementing rent caps to tackle housing and enhancing rural transport to help with cost of living pressures.

Main image: A depressed young person. Image: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire