Brittle: How the Housing Crisis Is Breaking Ireland -- And How to Fix It

When nearly half of Irish adults under 40 live with their parents or in shared accommodation -- not by choice -- something is wrong. Brittle shows how we arrived at the current housing crisis, and what can be done about it. 

Economics professor Ronan Lyons proposes a different metaphor for understanding Ireland's housing crisis, calling it 'brittle' instead of a bubble. He argues that the system is not about to burst as it did in the 2000s; rather, it is cracking under pressure and incapable of responding to change. 

Using clear, accessible language and simple charts throughout, Lyons explains how the current system forces people to respond to the crisis -- by living at home for longer, sharing with others, leaving the country, or even sleeping rough -- rather than adapting and meeting demand with proper housing.

Divided into three sections, the book examines the current state of the housing crisis, recounts the history that brought us here, and answers the question on all of our minds: 'Where Do We Go Now?'

Perfect for those looking to understand housing in Ireland, as well as those wondering what we do next. A well-researched look at our most urgent problem today. 

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Who wrote it?
Ronan Lyons

How does it come?
Paperback, 352 pages, 234 x 156 x 28 mm