Local support needed for housing demonstration called by CATU

Tenants, renters, and workers in Wexford and South Wicklow will join hundreds of others across the island travelling to Dublin for the all-island housing demonstration on July 5th organised by CATU Tenants Union, in protest of Government inaction surrounding the Housing Crisis, and the Government’s latest housing policy which allows landlords to significantly raise rents to new highs….

Wexford and South Wicklow members of CATU Ireland believe these new rules will force more workers and young people to choose between unsuitable and precarious living situations – including homelessness, which continues to surge across the island – or emigration, as average rents already account for the total take-home pay of many local workers. CATU Ireland has called on the Government to implement a number of measures, including ramping-up public housing delivery, ending the proliferation of Airbnbs and tourist accommodation hoovering up supply, and immediately cutting rents so that ordinary working people can afford to live.

Representing thousands of members across the island, CATU believes that the governments in power in both jurisdictions have demonstrated their inability and lack of commitment to addressing homelessness and housing inequality, as exemplified by recent announcements to gut the tenant-in-situ scheme and end the limited forms of rent control in force in the Republic against the backdrop of record number of families living in emergency accommodation.

John Bohan, a member of CATU’s National Committee, states that:

“Whether it’s being evicted from your home with a few weeks’ notice, or seeing your children emigrate due to lack of affordable housing, hardly anyone on this island has not been affected by the years of disastrous housing policy in Ireland. We are calling on everyone affected by this crisis to mobilise with us on July 5th in Dublin city centre to make it very clear to the government that enough is enough.”

CATU is an all-island union and is calling on both the Dáil and Stormont to immediately implement several measures to protect people across the island from homelessness, including the introduction and reinstatement of the eviction ban; a commitment to ensure no child is living in emergency accommodation by 2026; and a full and proper resourcing of the tenant-in-situ scheme.

The union is also demanding an end to the inhumane and exploitative direct provision system, and urgent resourcing and provision of culturally appropriate Traveller accommodation to end the discrimination which sees Travellers overrepresented in the homeless figures. The union also demands a rapid expansion of community mental health and addiction supports to address the complex harms experienced by many people forced into the homeless system.

Jake Anderson, CATU member in Gorey, told Wexford Weekly that:

“In Wexford (home of the current Housing Minister!), rents continue to soar, rising about 65% in the past 5 years. In 2020, 99.14% of rental properties have been noted to not meet minimum standards in Wexford, and, as the Housing Crisis worsens, it’s a pipe dream thinking this has gotten any better.”

“Landlords ignore regulations, turn to short-term lets and Airbnbs, make record-high profits, and further commodify housing which so many people need. We need legislation introduced that places ordinary people front and centre (caps on short-term lets and the introduction of the Short Term Letting Register are a necessary start), proper enforcement of this legislation, and an end to profit-led developments that destroy important cultural and community spaces, as is currently happening with the Faythe in Wexford town.”

In an effort to minimise obstacles to attendance, CATU South Wicklow-Wexford is organising a bus to the All-Island Housing Demo.

On 5th July, the bus will offer pick-up points in Wexford Town, Enniscorthy, Gorey, and Arklow; 9:30am at Redmond Square, 9:55am at Templeshannon Quay, 10:30am at Whitmore Jewellers, and 10:50am at Ferrybank bus stop respectively, with an estimated time to leave Dublin at 4:30pm that evening. Inquiries for the bus should be directed towards CATU South Wicklow-Wexford social media pages, or by email to wexfordsouthwicklow@catuireland.org, where a form will be available for interested parties to book their seat(s).

CATU Ireland is calling for everyone, and all community and political groups, who are disgusted with their governments’ failure to address the housing crisis to come together on the 5th of July to support the protest.

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