A RALLY to protest against the current housing crisis and the lifting of the eviction ban will be held in Limerick this week.
Organised by the Community Action and Tenants Union (CATU), the protest will take place on Friday (March 31), starting at Bedford Row in Limerick City.
Organisers say the date has been chosen to coincide with the ending of the Government’s ban on evictions.
CATU believe that the lifting of the eviction ban will have a detrimental impact on people and lead to the worsening of the housing crisis.
“The lifting of the eviction ban will seriously impact people already facing high rents, and will significantly worsen the housing crisis that we face in Ireland today,” a CATU representative said.
“Currently, in Limerick, there are 14 properties to rent, according to a search on renting website daft.ie, with the average rental prices €1,776 in Limerick City.
“211 eviction notices have already been handed out in Limerick alone in March, according to figures released to Sinn Fein TD, Maurice Quinlivan.”
CATU are also questioning why the ban is being lifted when there are already significant numbers of people who are experiencing homelessness.
“CATU calls for an answer for why the eviction ban is being lifted when there are already over 11,500 people in emergency housing – which doesn’t include the rising number of those classed as hidden homeless, those who rely on friends and families for somewhere to stay, be it a couch for a few nights, or a spare bed.
“Nor does it include the number of people already sleeping rough on the streets,” they said.
The protest will start at Bedford Row at 6pm on Friday (March 31), before continuing to the office of the Minister of State for Housing, Fine Gael TD Kieran O’Donnell, on Mallow Street.
