Both organisations to undertake the project ‘Uniting Tenant Voices: A Catalyst for Change Across Ireland’.
Project awarded grant of €25,000 from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Shared Island Civic Society Fund.
National housing charity Threshold and Northern Irish housing charity Housing Rights have been granted €25,000 from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Shared Island Civic Society Fund to undertake an all-island research initiative entitled “Uniting Tenant Voices: A Catalyst for Change Across Ireland (An All-Island Tenant Experience Survey)”.
The project, commissioned by the two organisations, will gather the views and experiences of private renters across the North and South of Ireland and identify the key issues facing renters across the island. It will be the first time such a project will be actioned across both jurisdictions. This project will result in the collection of comparable data across the North and South, which does not currently exist, and will allow for the identification of common issues and trends to inform real and impactful change for renters across the island of Ireland.
This research project aims to address current challenges and will help identify the areas where further research is necessary. To ensure the project accurately reflects and highlights the issues facing renters, private renters will be involved in each aspect of the project, with at least 1,000 renters expected to participate in the survey. This research project will pave the way for further opportunities for tenants and policy makers to come together to improve the rental experience in both jurisdictions.
Welcoming the grant, Threshold CEO John-Mark McCafferty said:
“This research project is a welcomed opportunity for Threshold, in partnership with Housing Rights, to highlight the main challenges that are facing renters across both jurisdictions. The data gathered from this research will inform further advocacy work undertaken by both organisations to improve housing policy and legislation, ensuring that more private renters can stay in their homes”.
Kate McCauley, CEO of Housing Rights said:
“Both Housing Rights and Threshold have long track records of working to improve the housing outcomes of people renting privately across both jurisdictions. This project is an exciting opportunity for both organisations to join together to elevate tenant voices and to pinpoint areas for policy and practical improvements. Critically, it may also highlight areas where tenants in one jurisdiction might benefit from the learnings in the other”.
An Invitation to Tender has been published today for an experienced and suitably qualified provider to conduct the all-island survey. Threshold and Housing Rights are calling on interested providers, both North and South, to tender for this project.
Contact Housing Rights for further information.