I’M 58 YEARS old. I grew up in Coolock, and I still spend most of my time between Coolock and Finglas, where I work as a community link worker supporting at-risk families, including members of the Roma and Traveller communities.

Every day, I see how much stability — or the lack of it — shapes people’s lives.

That’s why housing matters so much to me.

For years, I rented privately in Dublin, paying between €1,800 and €2,000 a month for one-bed accommodation while my partner and little boy lived separately.

I work full-time and pay my rent. But there was always a quiet anxiety in the background.

Would the landlord decide to sell?

Would the notice to vacate come through the letterbox?

Would we have to uproot again?

It’s a particular kind of stress — the kind that follows you to bed at night. You don’t fully settle. You hesitate before making long-term plans. You think twice before promising your child anything permanent.

I remember lying awake one night thinking: I’m paying nearly €2,000 a month, and still don’t have certainty. That’s not how housing should feel.

In August 2024, we moved into a two-bedroom apartment at De Verdon through Tuath Housing.

Before that, I had been living in a one-bed in Drimnagh while travelling back and forth to Coolock to help care for my 84-year-old father. My siblings and I share different days looking after him. Family is central to our lives, but juggling rent pressure, distance and instability was exhausting.

Derek says the secure home has given his family a new lease of life. Derek Moloney Derek Moloney

When we were offered our home through Tuath, it honestly felt like winning the lottery. Not because it was something for nothing. We pay just over €1,000 a month now, which will likely increase in the coming weeks due to our income, but it will still be low in comparison to renting privately, as Tuath is a not-for-profit housing association.

Heating bills still arrive. You still budget carefully. You still work. But for the first time in years, we have something priceless: security.

We know we could stay. We can plan. We can breathe.

A future to look forward to

Recently, Cillian, my son, was awarded a scholarship to Belvedere College. We’re unbelievably proud. He worked hard for it. No shortcuts. No favours. Just effort meeting opportunity.

Secure housing creates the conditions where children can focus, aim high and believe in themselves.

Stability at home gives them confidence. It gives them a foundation.

There’s a perception sometimes that social housing is about handouts. That hasn’t been my experience. We pay rent. We maintain our home. We open the windows to air it.

We take care of the heating. We respect our neighbours. Whether you rent or own, you’re responsible for how you live.

Pride doesn’t depend on ownership. It depends on attitude.

Derek Moloney is a tenant of Tuath Housing. Derek Moloney Derek Moloney

Our building is new, but like any other property, there can be issues from time to time. But in our experience, maintenance concerns are dealt with quickly. There’s security in place. There’s a residents’ WhatsApp group. There’s a communal garden where families gather. People look out for each other.

We’re fortunate to have an incredible view of Howth, the harbour and the Dublin mountains. But more important than the view is the feeling: this is our home. Not temporary. Not uncertain. Ours.

In my work across Finglas and Coolock, I see how powerful stable housing can be. When families have peace of mind, everything else becomes possible — employment, education, caring responsibilities, community involvement.

Too often in Ireland, we reduce housing to numbers: units delivered, waiting lists, targets. But behind every number is a family trying to hold itself together. Behind every secure home is a child with a better chance.

For years, housing felt like something we were surviving. Now it feels like something we are living in.

I no longer go to bed with that knot in my stomach. I don’t lie awake wondering if we’ll have to pack up again. I can imagine my son finishing school, going to college, building his future from a stable base.

Security shouldn’t feel like winning the lottery. But for many working families in Ireland today, it still does.

And that’s why I’m proud of our home — and grateful for the opportunity Tuath gave us to build our future in it.

Derek Moloney is a community link worker supporting families in Finglas and Coolock. Originally from Coolock, he lives at De Verdon with his partner Lisa and son Cillian.

© TheJournal