New Post

A chairde,

Firstly this week, some updates from the newly established RPZ (Rent Pressure Zone) working group.

The group has prepared a position paper and are seeking feedback on it. You can access the paper at the link below, and any observations can be sent to [email protected]

RPZ Position Paper

The group will hold its next meeting online on Wednesday, March 19th at 18:00. The primary purpose of this meeting will be to plan an action related to the imminent Housing Agency report. All members are welcome to join and can do so via the link below:

RPZ Group Meeting - March 19th

Further to the recent establishment of a Dublin City branch, a WhatsApp group has been set up to allow discussion and collaboration between members. If you’re a member in any of the Dublin City branches, you’re welcome and encouraged to join. (Applicable branches are: Ballymun-Finglas, Crumlin-Drimnagh, D7 West, Dublin 3, Dublin Bay North, Dublin South City, Inchicore-Kilmainham, Liberties-Rialto, Mountjoy-Dorset, Phibsboro-Glasnevin, Rathmines-Ranelagh)

Dublin City Branch - WhatsApp Group

NOTE: Please only join the group if you’re a member of one of the above branches.

Last Saturday’s Connacht Regional Forum was a huge success!

Members from all across Galway, Sligo and Mayo gathered to discuss how the ‘Homes Not Holiday Lets’ campaign could be broadened to the whole region.

The impacts of short-term lets extend beyond Galway city; it is a growing crisis across the West of Ireland, from the Gaeltacht communities in Connemara or on Achill island, to the urban centers of Sligo, Westport or Carrick-on-Shannon.

On Saturday, attendees planned out how to take united action across the West, joining forces with other towns and cities facing the same challenges.

It was the start to building a broad, unified campaign to stop the expansion of short-term lets, one that demands systemic change.

Our campaigning needs to challenge the very structure that puts private profit over public housing. Only through this approach will we dismantle the forces that are turning our cities and communities into commodities and create a housing system that works for everyone, not just the wealthy few.

At the same time, our councils need to regulate short-term lets more effectively, ensuring they do not further deplete the stock of long-term housing.

This means creating a system that limits the number of properties that can be rented out on a short-term basis, imposing taxes on these properties that are used for tourism, and ensuring that the income from these taxes is reinvested into public housing projects.

Visit catuireland.org/airbnb for more information on the campaign.

Great news from CATU Rathmines-Ranelagh, whose members have successfully resisted TramCo’s disgraceful eviction attempts.

With union support, the affected tenants organised pickets, protests, stalls and secured 171 petition signatures to raise awareness of the attempted eviction. Their case was brought to the RTB, who have ruled that the Notices of Termination issued were invalid - and that a total of €25,000 should be paid out to the tenants.

Well done to all involved - community power wins the day again!

Following on from CATU's previous work to build partnerships with Trade Unions, a new WhatsApp group has been set up where we can make plans to progress ideas further - if you are a trade union member interested in getting involved join the WhatsApp at the link below:

CATU Trade Union Group - WhatsApp

The group will also be hosting their first meeting of the year on Thursday, March 20th at 8pm - online via Zoom. Link below:

Zoom Meeting - CATU Trade Union Group - March 20th

CATU Mountjoy-Dorset have been out on the doors and are building towards a meeting on March 22nd with the aim of uniting Vestry tenants in an action against director, and largest shareholder, Richard Moyles.

Are you a Vestry tenant? If so, please consider contacting [email protected] (you don’t have to be based in Dublin 1).

The latest Rent Strike documentary screening takes place this Sunday in The Nest on Custom House Quay in Sligo. Start time is 14:00 and you can either buy a ticket in advance HERE or by paying €5/€3 on the door.

The Rent Strike documentary tells the story of the hugely successful Irish rent strike of 1970-1973 and includes testimonies from those who fought the campaign at the time.

Housing Data ~ Sonified takes place at Ormston House, Limerick on Saturday, March 22nd from 5pm–6pm; the organisers would like to invite CATU members to attend, as it may be of interest, and it would be great to have input into the informal discussion that follows the performance. This contemporary-classical + spoken word piece is a collaboration between David Bremner, Larissa O'Grady, and Christodoulos Makris. Data related to Ireland's severe housing crisis is converted into a multi-movement work for violin, keyboard, and readings of appropriated/found texts. Through subtle sonic nuances, hidden patterns in this plethora of data may become audible. Spaces are limited and booking is required via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/housing-data-sonified-tickets-1237470701179?aff=oddtdtcreator

The event accompanies Daniel Tuomey's solo exhibition Stuck, a decomposition, which is a rumination upon how Limerick's Georgian edifices are a constant reminder of our colonial past and our uncertain future.

In Solidarity,

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