FAIR CITY STAR
FAIR City star Roxanna Nic Liam slammed the government, claiming they “gentrified” her hometown of East Wall.
The 35-year-old has played Erica on the hit soap for five years and uses her voice to speak on social justice, admitting she may never be able to afford her own home.
Commenting on the redevelopment of East Wall, North Dublin, Roxanna told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I might not own a house. “Eastwall has always been ignored. “It’s always been an area that was underfunded and under-resourced.
“It was really hard growing up when they built the IFSC and knocked down all the flats in Sheriff Street and gentrified the area.
“They put so much money into the area whilst neglecting places like Eastwall and the working class people who lived there.”
ANGER
She said her anger stems from social injustice, adding: “People are giving out about the Direct Provision Centre but what concerns me more is the gentrification of East Wall, they’re building apartments for people to come over from [BIG US COMPANIES], live there for two years and move on.
“Houses are not being built for people, they’re being built for tourists and Airbnb.
“I’m angry, the government doesn’t seem to have a problem with people from a place not being able to live there now.”
As a volunteer at the Direct Provision Centre in East Wall, North Dublin, Roxanna hailed the majority of the community for helping migrants to integrate.
She said: “When a centre opened without any warning, with 400 new people from a different country, people are baffled by that, thinking we’re already under-resourced.
“It leaves people vulnerable and the far-right will prey on those people.
“I could see this happening, really good people going to the protests, people I grew up with.
“People were confused in the first month and now people see families
We were seeing the worst of humanity, now we’re starting to see the best
living there, everything’s fine.
“Everywhere you go you will get people full of bitterness and hate, but after time people realised the lies weren’t true and it was the far-right trying to stir up drama.
“Eastwall really came together as a community and it’s been amazing.
“All they want is a good life, some only come in with their clothes on their back.
“People are so kind to donate, I’ve learnt that 98 per cent of people want to help and two per cent are consumed by hate and want to blame other people.