Councils must be empowered to CPO vacant houses so they can be put back into the system
People Before Profit Dublin City Councillor John Lyons has called on people to initiate more direct action and occupations following the Summerhill occupation over the last number of days due to the crisis housing and homelessness situation.
He also called for the government to end the failed policy of Rebuilding Ireland, to stop the selloff of public land to private developers and for public housing to be built on public land.
He said: “It is an absolute disgrace that we have families and children having to sleep in Garda stations in order to find shelter for the night.
“I think people should engage in more occupations and direct action, like in Summerhill over the last few days, to make the point to the government that we demand public housing on public land and that housing be delivered by the state for people not for private profit. The city and county councils should be empowered to CPO vacant sites and houses so they can be turned around and put back into the housing supply. Councils should also be financed to employ more tradespeople so these renovations can take place in a timely fashion.
“The government, through their disastrous policy of relying on private developers and private landlords to solve the housing crisis have failed the people of this country. We have at least 10,000 people home and child homelessness has gone up 35% in Eoghan Murphy’s first year as Housing Minister.
“What this shows is that for all the government spin and repackaging of old figures that Rebuilding Ireland isn’t working and government policy has failed spectacularly. The figures show us that it is not a matter of who the Minister is, but rather the nature of the failed government housing policy which has been to play to the tune of private developers and corporate landlords.”
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