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A chairde,

We start this week with some updates from CATU Galway. They are developing a “Homes, Not Holiday Lets” campaign.

Housing in Galway is at crisis point. With few houses available, skyrocketing rents, and increasing levels of homelessness, we are in the midst of a housing disaster. A key factor in this is the increase in landlords illegally turning houses into short-term lets (STLs) and advertising them on sites such as Airbnb. Insufficient and unenforced regulation is enabling this, with only 4% of Airbnbs in Galway city having the necessary planning permission. In the depths of a housing crisis, it is unconscionable for houses to be misappropriated into a means for illegally generating income. At the same time, >50 hotels, hostels, and B&Bs in County Galway are used as totally unsuitable accommodation for those seeking asylum in our country. Homes become hotels, and hotels become homes. We cannot allow this to continue.

Relatedly, the Galway branch are running a special “Break Up with AirBnB” event on Saturday, February 15th. It’s taking place in Kennedy’s in Eyre Square, and is a fundraising effort in support of the above campaign. There’ll be stalls and workshops (from 15:30), bands, DJs (from 19:00) and a lovely community buzz all through the day!

Tickets available below:

Break Up with AirBnB - Tickets

For those in Dublin, meanwhile, there’ll be a Regional Forum taking place on Saturday, February 15th from 12:00 until 16:00 in Tailor’s Hall, Dublin 8.

As mandated at this year’s Ard Fheis, a Dublin City branch is being established to support greater collaboration among the relevant branches. A comprehensive informational guide has been prepared which outlines what to expect from this new structure.

You can access the info guide from the link below.

Building Our Dublin City Branch - PDF

CATU Cork is currently fundraising for one of their members, Dion.

Dion is living in an apartment which, through no fault of his own, is plagued by dampness and mould, caused by structural issues that his landlord refuses to address. If you have the means right now, please consider contributing to the cause on iDonate. The aim is to buy an air purifier and dehumidifier with the funds raised. Link below:

iDonate Fundraiser - Dion

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Sticking with the Cork branch, one of their members, Alice, has written a summary of a recent doorknocking session in Mayfield. Take a look below!

“Eight CATU activists braved the rain and thunder in Avonmore Park and Mount Brosna in Mayfield, Cork last Saturday as part of the ongoing campaign to organise tenants in the area. The residents in the area are fed up with the repeated failures by their landlord, the local council, to carry out very basic maintenance.

Across the estate the tenants complained of holes and leaks in the roof being left unfixed for months, damp and mould being left untreated, sewage coming up through the pipes, windows that won't open and dirty drinking water among many others. The campaign is going strong however. Residents are growing increasingly organised and able to stand up to the council to have their rights met.

Already they have organised two protests demanding the vindication of their rights, with more to come. CATU organizers have had a number of meetings with the city council. More work needs to be done, and more work is being done.

CATU will not stop organising renters and mortgage holders, and we will not stop fighting back until we win. If you are facing the issues talked about in this blog, CATU will be there to support you in fighting back. Beir Bua!”

CATU members have been organising in the Cromcastle Court flats in Kilmore, North Dublin, for the past few months. Recently DCC and the Land Development Agency have started building a new cost rental development on land adjacent to the flats which has led a lot of tenants to question why the state has money for this development while they have been left waiting for regeneration for nearly 20 years and the flats are being left to rot.

In response, the union is organising a public meeting to discuss developments in the area and start a campaign to fight for public housing and other facilities for the community. There will be short talks by John Bissett, who has been involved in campaigns for public housing in Dublin for many years, and about the LDA and cost rental housing.

This is an important event because it's linked both the union's public housing campaign and is also part of our efforts to respond to growth of the far right. The meeting is on Thursday, February 13th at 19:00 in Kilmore Recreation Centre. All welcome!

CATU Rathmines Ranelagh is organising tenants who have been denied the Tenant in Situ scheme by Dublin City Council. If you have been denied this scheme, please contact [email protected]

In Solidarity,

Naoise Faogáin
National Administrator
Community Action Tenants Union - CATU Ireland
www.catuireland.org