New figures reveal extent of housing crisis in Offaly - Nolan

New housing figures reveal the extent to which the housing crisis is preventing people in Offaly from securing a home of their own, Independent Offaly TD Carol Nolan has said.

According to the most recent information contained in the Summary of Social Housing Assessments 2025, there were 563 households qualified for social housing support in Offaly.

Of these, 166 households were recorded as living with parents, while a further 84 households were living with relatives or friends.

Together, this amounts to 250 households, representing 44.4 percent of all applicants on the county's social housing waiting list.

“When we think about housing need, we often focus on homelessness or emergency accommodation.

"However, hundreds of people in Offaly are effectively unable to move on with their lives because they cannot access a home of their own and are instead forced to remain living with parents or relying on relatives and friends for accommodation.

"The Housing Agency data shows that 250 households on Offaly's social housing waiting list fall into this category. That means almost half of all households seeking housing support in the county are depending on family or informal arrangements for a roof over their heads," Deputy Nolan said.

The Deputy also noted that the Housing Agency found that households living with parents, relatives and friends combined now represent the most common housing situation among those seeking social housing support nationally.

"What's particularly concerning is that Offaly is significantly above the national average.

"While 37.6 percent of households seeking social housing nationally are living with parents, relatives or friends, that figure in Offaly is 44.4 percent.

"That points to a growing number of people who simply cannot access a home of their own and are being forced to rely on family support for far longer than should be necessary.

"For younger adults, it can mean postponing plans to start a family. For others, it means remaining in accommodation that was never intended to be a long-term solution because there are simply no realistic alternatives available," Deputy Nolan added.

The Dáil representative has called for a "renewed focus" on delivering affordable and social housing in Offaly.

"People must be able to build independent lives in the communities where they work, rather than being forced to share cramped housing conditions in mammy or daddy’s box room,” Deputy Nolan concluded.