Dublin couple forced to live in their car after 50% rent increase
A married couple in their 20s have been living in their car for more than three weeks in West Dublin, after their rent went up 50%.
Ciara and Shane Dwyer lost their home in Jobstown because they could not afford the rent, which increased from €700 to €1050 a month.
They are both unemployed, and qualify for a rent allowance of €540 euro a month – but say they cannot find anywhere else they can afford.
Ciara says they have been sleeping in a tiny 2001 Nissan Micra for more than three weeks.
"It's horrible, I'm embarrassed, I'm ashamed," she said.
"I thought we had people we could turn to, but we don't.
"The homeless unit have nowhere to put us up, and we can't get another rented house.
She said that living in the car has been very difficult.
"It's tiny, it's cold, you get sore lungs because you're trying to knock on and off the heating, but it's just the way we have to live now."
