Government housing policy is a disaster.
Instead of building houses directly councils have voted to give land away to developers.
The developers then build houses and give a small number of these to the council while the rest of them are sold at sky-high prices, meaning local people are priced out.
In 2022 only 1,689 were built by councils on state land. Compare that with 1975 when 9000 houses were built by councils.
The failure to build social and affordable houses means:
- Almost 58,000 are on waiting lists, with nearly a quarter being on the list for over 7 years.
- Another 68,000 households are on Housing Assistance Payments (HAP).
- Over 13,000 are homeless, nearly 4,000 of these are children.
- The state hands over nearly €1 billion a year to landlords to subsidise rents.
- Average rents are through the roof being over €1800 and €2300 in Dublin
- Vulture funds buy up whole apartment blocks and charge crazy rents.
People Before Profit Stands For A Complete Change In Policy
- Establish a State building company to work with councils to build thousands of social and affordable homes.
- Widen access to social housing
- Bring vacant properties back into use: There are 65,000 vacant since 2016. Councils should compulsory purchase them and turn them into homes
- Ban vulture Funds
- Cap and reduce rates so that nobody is paying more than 25% of their wages in rent.
- Bring back the eviction ban
On Saturday April 6 People Before Profit Branches around the Country will be organising action to highlight the housing crisis.
LOCAL ACTIONS
Harold’s Cross: Housing Protest, 12 pm, Harold’s Cross Road near Mt Jerome cemetery, Dublin 6W
Dublin 8: Housing Protest 12 pm, junction of Thomas St and Meath St, Dublin 8
Tralee: Housing Petition and Stall, 1 pm The Mall
Waterford: Housing Petition and Stall, Saturday 6th April, 12 pm, Red Square, Waterford
Carlow and Kilkenny: Housing Activists meeting, 3.30 pm Reddy’s bar, 67 Tullow St
Dún Laoghaire: Housing Petition and Stall, 11 am, Myrtle Square, George’s St, Dún Laoghaire
Dublin Bay North & Dublin North West: Housing Stall, 1 pm, Northside Shopping Centre (Bunratty Side) followed at 2pm by leafleting of surrounding areas
Donaghmede: Mass Leafleting and Petitioning for DCC to CPO Derelict Houses, 11 am, Raheny DART Station
Limerick: Protest Outside Fine Gael TD And Minister For State Kieran O’ Donnell’s Office, 3 pm, 32 Mallow Street, Limerick
Dublin South West: Protest Outside Derelict Property, 1 pm, 61 Swiftbrook Main Street, Jobstown D24
Dundalk: Housing Stall, 12 pm, Earl St, Dundalk Town
Cork: Housing Stall, 10 am Outside TK Maxx, Cornmarket St, Cork
Bray: Protest at Derelict Property, 1 pm, 4 Greenpark Road, (Middle Dargle Road) Bray
Dublin City Centre: Postering 3 Vacant Properties On North Circular Road Followed By Leafleting The Area, 11 am, North Circular Road
Blanchardstown: Vacant Properties Tour, 4.30 pm, Meet at Lidl, Blakestown Way
