Over the past 12 months in Ireland, one topic that has continued to dominate the headlines is that is of the housing crisis affecting the country. Rising prices, a growing population and a shortage of available houses has meant that younger people are being squeezed out of the property market. As a result of the crisis, the number of homeless people has risen by as much as 30% across the country.
But how bad is the housing crisis in reality? The figures paint a stark picture but these can be hard to comprehend and visualise as a whole. Our latest Map of the Moment explores the housing crisis issue to better understand the problem. The Map below has been created using data from Open Sources and displays results from the latest available official statistics. Splitting the data across different layers, the map makes it possible to compare various figures against one another.
By default, the map displays the number of homeless adults, by county vs the number of vacant houses/flats by county. Using the swipe tool to reveal or hide the different layers it becomes possible to see the areas of the country where homelessness and vacant properties have become an issue. For example; Dublin has the highest number of homeless adults in the country but also has the highest rate of vacant properties. The map also features a layer of vacant houses/flats from the previous release of official statistics. By comparing this layer against the current figures it can be seen that since 2011, the housing crisis has only gotten worse for the vast majority of counties across the country.
This map serves to highlight the important role that Open Source Data can play in our society. The map has real–world applications for a number of different stake holders. From charities looking to raise awareness of a topical and important issue to governmental departments looking to assess their data to take informed and important policy decisions. By visualising all the available information on a map, it is possible to spot new opportunities or solutions to vital issues that otherwise may have remained hidden behind the figures.
Azimap is improving the way that Open Source Data is visualised and analysed, from the innovative and easy to use spatial analysis tools to its simple data import and map creation features. Why not sign up to a Free trial of Azimap and see for yourself how a range of organisations are creating the maps that matter to them.
