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THE GROUP RUNNING a homeless hostel at a vacant building in Dublin city centre say they’ve been overwhelmed by support for their effort in recent days.
One woman travelled up by train from Galway to donate supplies, before returning home the same day, an activist with the Irish Housing Network said this morning.
Meanwhile, a Facebook appeal for a defibrillator was fulfilled within minutes of being posted today.
Activists with the group – which is supported by a number of well-known figures, including singers Glen Hansard and Damien Dempsey – moved into the building late on Thursday night.
20 people stayed in the former Department of Social Protection Building near Tara Street Dart station last night – and it’s planned more people will be admitted once capacity is increased.
“We’ve had 800 people getting in touch asking to volunteer in some capacity,” the Irish Housing Network’s Rosi Leonard told TheJournal.ie.
“The residents who are here so far are getting on really well,” she said.
The appeal for the defibrillator and medical supplies was issued as a number of people with medical training have volunteered to work with the project, and need to be properly equipped.
At this stage, volunteers are not appealing for any more food as they have enough, Leonard added. They’re continuing to seek donations of general supplies, mattresses and bedding.
“We’re also looking for help with laundry – if anyone with large-scale cleaning facilities wants to help we’d love to hear from them.”
Lawyers representing the receiver of the building have contacted the group by letter, Leonard said, adding that the volunteers would be happy to speak with them in coming days.
Who’s behind the occupation?
Leonard’s group, the Irish Housing Network, is a broad coalition of different far-left grassroots housing organisations.
Many of the organisations formed separately over the past number of years as a direct response to Ireland’s worsening housing crisis, before coming together to pursue a common goal.
They have been at the centre of various high-profile “occupations” over the past year or so, and are well-organised and media savvy.
They’re working in co-operation with the Home Sweet Home group, which is closely linked to the Mandate trade union and was co-founded by high-profile anti-water charges activist and trade unionist Brendan Ogle.
The decision to occupy Apollo House has not been supported by more established homeless charities – although Dublin Simon’s Sam McGuinness said on Friday he had been giving advice to the activists.
“It will certainly be more secure than sleeping in a doorway or sleeping in tents in the parks, or sleeping in cardboard some other place,” he said, while stressing that his organisation was not otherwise involved.
Some figures within the homeless charity sector have been less enthusiastic about the occupation of the building, citing the serious health and safety concerns the takeover could pose without properly-trained staff present.
The latest rough sleeper count for Dublin found 142 people sleeping rough in the city centre. There have since been an extra 145 beds opened.
However, McGuinness said on Friday that the beds are nearing capacity already, and the latest Simon rough sleeper count found over 100 homeless people still sleeping rough.
Nama said in a statement that it did not own Apollo House. “Any issues arising are for the receiver of the building not Nama,” a spokesperson said.
- With reporting from Cormac Fitzgerald
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Dublin City Council needs to aggressively go after single tenants in mutli-bedroom houses. People given houses for their family 30 years ago – the kids have long moved out, but the parent is still hogging a 3 or 4 bed house. I’m sure DCC could make a huge impact to the “housing crisis” by making better use if their stock.
@Mick paisley: I have to agree to some point with you. Although you have every right to live in any house you want I work with the elderly and it’s a bit mad when you go to collect a 84 year old woman living in a 4 bed in the suberbs next to a young family. I for one would much rather be living in a smaller home at that age.
@Mick paisley: why not build more houses and vastly improve commuter public transport instead of making rich old ones homeless?
@Noj Nikrub: the comment from Mick is about socials who got their houses many years ago and now are single occupying it.
@Mick paisley: the UK actually seen this was an issue and did something.
Look up the ‘bedroom tax’ UK.
@Mick paisley: It isn’t easy to up sticks and move to another part of the city when you’ve spent most of your life in a certain area.
Usual song and dance sinn fein approach to something we already know so it looks like their actually doing something about housing. Strip it back and they have zero productive alternative to the problem. These little soundbites are great for hiding that fact though
@Alan: their solution is probably to tax Ireland’s elite on 35,000 a year plus , even further! The same elite on those kind of figures , that are sharing rooms in kip house shares !
Private property is just that-private. So it’s up to the owners to do what they see fit, such as leave empty, let go derilict or rent out to make the best return, currently Airbnb. Dcc failed to allow adequate housing be built over the last year’s then they take it out on property owners with the introduction of rent pressure zones. Why do local authorities block the division of two storey houses into 2 separate units ? It’s because planners with their heads up their culos believe they know best and Dictate to the rest of us, that needs to change.
@Bren Guiden: eh no Bren, property rights are not absolute and do not trump the common good. Its in the Constitution, feel free to go to the Supreme Court if you think otherwise
@Bren Guiden: So scrap the concept of planning permission?
@Bren Guiden: Yes there are property rights and people can do what they want within those rules, but the government can change that “free” market with tax and legislation. So what you’ve said is incorrect.
You invest in rental property you accept the investment risks including new legislation that may have a negative impact on your property.
In this case with so much new room stock coming through in the hotel market it’s in the greater interest to re-purpose this space to actual tenants
@Vin: The problem is that changes that appear to be in the general interest (of individual tenants) actually dissuade property investors from entering or remaining in the property market and over time this results in a lack of supply and increased rents and is to the detriment of tenants generally.
SF led DCC for 5 years and let all this fester
More nonsense from SF. Air bnbs are normally city center apartments that would be unsuitable/too expensive for most people.
Stop property owners from sitting on land/buildings in city center and aiming to make a gain in 10 years on dormant sites. Property tax should be based on the value of the land, not what sits on it. Landlords should receive tax breaks for fixing buildings but punished hugely for space on their land that is left derelict.
When planning permission is granted authorities should be insisting the purpose of the building. i.e rental/owner occupied.
Initiatives like this would do much to address the supply issue.
@Wreck Tangle: Apartments are housing. Housing should be used to house people, especially in times of chronic shortages. The fact that housing in our cities is “too expensive” is because of the shortage of property to rent or buy. Using apartments and houses as short term let’s for tourists exacerbates this issue. More supply = more choice= more affordable. Tourists should be in hotels or hostels , not homes.
@An bhearna:
Personally I disagree with air bnb but my point is that this is bluster and not a major source of the problems in Dublin and Ireland in general.
As you point out, this is an exacerbating factor. Removing air bnb is a good move but it is not address the property crisis. The properties will be rented to middle/high income earners and any impact would be short lived.
@Wreck Tangle: do you know how supply and demand works
Ah, good old dcc! They won’t even given Ronan an extra two floors into the stump he’s building for sales force in the docklands! These absolute hypocrites are right up there at the top, when it comes to the blame for the housing crisis! Denying tens of thousands housing in central areas , to appease existing constituents. Surprised the haven’t adopted a “ to hell or Connaught “ mantra yet, they couldn’t care less about those desperate for housing or being robbed blind to pay for it! They are the biggest culprits in limiting supply!
@Shane Murphy: You’re supporting Ronan in trying to get extra floors to build multi million euro apartments in a vanity project. There wouldn’t be one single affordable or social dwelling in it. The application has no merit and is nothing more than a greedy attempt at overturning a well thought out and correct decision by using media campaigns to convince mugs like you that it’s done kind of panacea to the housing issue.
Try finding the form 15 under the new legislation! And with only 3 days to go before the legislation the form was for not even on Dublin City Council’s website. So now just simply key in “New Short Term Letting Regulations, Planning and Development (amendment) Regulations 2019″
@Pat Redmond: shambles
Try finding the form 15 under the new legislation! And with only 3 days to go before the legislation the form was for not even on Dublin City Council’s website. So now just simply key in “New Short Term Letting Regulations, Planning and Development (amendment) Regulations 2019″
@Pat Redmond: that’s not good
Try finding the form 15 under the new legislation! And with only 3 days to go before the legislation the form was for not even on Dublin City Council’s website. So now just simply key in “New Short Term Letting Regulations, Planning and Development (amendment) Regulations 2019″
@Pat Redmond: that’s what Pat was saying earlier
Law is only in papers and big companies are still letting apt and houses as short let. Why city council didn’t check online there are so many companies still doing short let in Dublin.
Is this register available to the public? Is there a mechanism for people to report properties?
@David Guiney: yes please go to http://www.mynameisDaveandImabigsnitch.com
Try finding the form 15 under the new legislation! And with only 3 days to go before the legislation the form was for not even on Dublin City Council’s website. So now just simply key in “New Short Term Letting Regulations, Planning and Development (amendment) Regulations 2019″
@Pat Redmond: I’m sorry could you repeat that please?
Try finding the form 15 under the new legislation! And with only 3 days to go before the legislation the form was for not even on Dublin City Council’s website. So now just simply key in “New Short Term Letting Regulations, Planning and Development (amendment) Regulations 2019″
@Pat Redmond: are you sure now you looked hard enough?
Try finding the form 15 under the new legislation! And with only 3 days to go before the legislation the form was for not even on Dublin City Council’s website. So now just simply key in “New Short Term Letting Regulations, Planning and Development (amendment) Regulations 2019″
@Pat Redmond: Thanks that’s what I thought you said alright
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