SIPTU Activist

In recent days, Fr Peter Mc Verry has described the housing situation as one that has morphed from “a crisis to catastrophe” and most experts believe it will worsen in the short to medium term, unless there is a dramatic change in official policy.

This multi-faceted emergency extends across all levels of the housing sector and affects virtually all sectors of society: workers, families, women, students, pensioners, travellers and many others.

As part of the Raise the Roof, Congress has put forward clear solutions to this crisis, such as the urgent need to build more public housing and to create a legal right to housing, which already exists in some 80 countries worldwide. A petition in support of the Right to Housing is available at this link: https://www.ictu.ie/raisetheroofpetition

Huge numbers of young workers and their families now find themselves locked out of the housing market, unable to either buy or rent an affordable place to live. Housing is no longer seen as a human right but as a plaything of speculators and developers.

Therefore I believe it is imperative that affiliate unions do their utmost to ensure we have as many members as possible on the May 18 rally to send a clear signal to government that a radical shift in housing policy is needed in order to bring this intolerable situation to an end.

Patricia King
GENERAL SECRETARY
WEB: www.ictu.ie