The People’s Convention supports fully the demands made by the Housing Action Group that a NATIONAL EMERGENCY be declared on the issue of housing and homelessness.
The aim of the campaign is:
- That homelessness be eliminated, families living in B&B or hostel accommodation or in cars or on the streets must become a thing of the past.
- That local authority housing waiting lists be all but eliminated, excepting whatever few weeks administration it might take to allocate properties
- Minimum Standards in both local authority and in private rental accommodation need to be enforced.
We are happy to re-publish their press released, issued Monday 26th March 2018:
MEDIA RELEASE – Another 24 Hour Protest
The second 24 hour protest demanding that Government setup a National Emergency Committee on the issue of Housing and Homelessness starts tomorrow, Tuesday 27th March at 10am outside the City Hall in Cork.
People will gather outside City Hall at 10am and remain there overnight.
Cork’s Housing Action Group launched its campaign last month, in the middle of the ‘Beast from the East’, with nearly 150 people participating in some way.
The protest in February was for 24 hours, sleeping out in the coldest weather recorded for many years – it took place as reports were released showing increased numbers of homelessness, and more deaths on our streets.
The campaign group has one aim: that Government declare a National Emergency and that an urgency be given to housing and homelessness in the same way as it was when the Foot & Mouth Disease crisis hit us, and just as we dealt with the recent severe weather.
A National Emergency Committee on Housing and Homelessness would hold daily media briefings to update citizens on the progress of it’s work, what emergency legislation might be rushed through Dáil Éireann, what expertise was being employed to the different issues etc.
A National Emergency Committee on Housing and Homelessness is required and could solve this crisis.
The Government policy of ‘Rebuilding Ireland’ has failed to address the issue, local authority housing lists are growing, a new property bubble exists and private rental costs are at record levels. At the same time there are empty houses everywhere, more than enough to accommodate all the homeless families, but for want of Government decision.
The Housing Action Group will continue and increase the frequency of their 24 hour protests, in Cork and also in other counties.
The group operates an Internet page at ‘facebook.com/DeclareHousingEmergency’
Spokesperson for the group,
Cllr Diarmaid Ó Cadhla
Member of Cork County Council
See also: https://www.thefuture.ie/we-declared-a-national-emergency-for-foot-mouth-disease/
