HOUSING CRISIS PUTS SEX WORKERS AT RISK
Prostitutes open ‘to exploitation’ as rents rocket
Wren Day crowd A fiddler in Sandymount, Dublin, yesterday THE housing crisis puts vulnerable sex workers at risk from exploitative landlords, campaigners have warned.
Rising rents and a lack of affordable accommodation were leading people to put themselves in dangerous situations.
And the problem is compounded by some workers’ inability to provide proof of income or employment history.
Sex Workers Alliance Ireland’s Kate Mcgrew said: “People are struggling to find somewhere to live as it is – imagine what it’s like for a sex worker.
“Our phones are flooded with people saying they have been offered flats, and they have to take them because they have no other option.
“We talk to workers daily who, when they show up to those places and the door isn’t even locked, the so-called landlord comes over because he wants free sex from the worker, to rape the worker.
“It’s that much worse for everybody during a housing crisis and sex workers are already at the bottom of the pile.
“People who work for Google can’t even find a house. Sex workers can sometimes have chaotic lives as it is, some might not speak English as a first language, these ads are not what they say they are, it’s putting people in a dangerous position.
“One girl had a landlord tell her his wife was uncomfortable that she rented their flat and had to go – even though she didn’t work from the premises, he thought she must dwell in circles of criminality.”
The Rental Tenancy Board RTB reports the national average rent was €1,122 per month in December.
Dublin remains the most expensive place to rent with average monthly prices now at €1,620.
SWAI said there has been a rise in the numbers of women and men contacting them for help and advice.
And they said the increase in crime against sex workers is directly linked to the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 which came into force last year.
The act makes the purchase of sex illegal while decriminalising the sale of sex – known as the Nordic model.
Supporters say it reduces the demand that drives sex trafficking, however many sex worker organisations disagree.
The Uglymugs.ie database says violent crime against prostitutes is up 77%. Sex worker