Dublin City Council to consider “log cabins in back gardens” as a way to tackle the housing crisis

The proposal is to be officially put forward later in 2018.

The housing crisis in Dublin continues to grow in size and strength, as the latest figures show that rent in the capital is now so high that an affordable living wage is around €2 higher than the minimum wage.

Even with the addition of new suburbs to the city, the crisis is reaching boiling point, and People Before Profit Councillor John Lyons is putting forward a motion to allow log cabins in back gardens to be used to tackle the issue.

As it stands, cabins up to 25 square metres are allowed to be built without planning permission, and while Councillor Lyons admits that there will be issues regarding access and fire safety, he also stressed that the cabins would be built to a very high standard, with an entire industry potentially growing if the motion is passed.

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Councillor Lyons said that: “I think it’s a rather sensible, modest proposal that could help a lot of families who at the moment are suffocating with ever increasing rents.”

When asked how long the cabins would be allowed for, he replied: “I would say that five years would be a fair timeframe to put on it. We’d have to have that debate in the city council and chamber, but that to my mind would give young couples in particular some time to save up some money.”

Would paying renters be willing to live in a log cabin somebody’s back garden? Let us know below: