Unions seeking support from TDs for its housing charter

AS the housing and homeless crisis in Ireland continues to worsen, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions is assembling teams of union members in constituencies across the country to lobby local TD’s, seeking their support for a 5-point charter for housing rights.

The first of the Sligo-Leitrim lobbying meetings took place with Deputy Marc MacSharry, who met with Corey Whyte representing Unite and Hugh MacConville of SIPTU.

Commenting on the campaign Corey Whyte said: “Hundreds in Sligo have been left with uncertainty on growing housing lists while many more have been affected by risings rents across the county.

“It is essential the four representatives from Sligo – Leitrim work to reverse the growing housing and homeless crisis and remove the uncertainty from the lives of many in county Sligo.”

According to Congress General Secretary Patricia King, the housing and homeless crisis “is the single biggest problem facing Ireland today and represents a policy failure of massive proportions.

“We’ ll be asking TDs directly where they stand on this issue and if they will support the measures we have outlined in the Charter for Housing Rights.

“They have a clear responsibility to let their constituents know if they will support the Charter and work to make it a reality,” she said.

The Congress Charter for Housing Rights sets out five broad principles to end the crisis:

1. Declare a Housing & Homeless Emergency and start a major public housing building programme delivering at least 10,000 affordable new homes every year; 2. Introduce a legal Right to Housing for every citizen; 3. Ensure all tenants enjoy security of tenure, rent certainty and decent accommodation; 4. Ban evictions; 5. Develop a national Land Management policy, in accordance with the right to housing