Secure rent campaign to visit Limerick, Galway and Cork
Monday 14 November 2016Mandate members are encouraged to attend local meetings hosted by the ‘Secure Rents’ campaign in Limerick, Galway and Cork over the coming weeks.
The campaign is an initiative of Mandate, the Communications’ Workers Union (CWU), FSU, IMPACT, SIPTU and UNITE along with online campaign group Uplift.
The Demands
The demands are simple:
- Regulate rent increases by linking rents to the Consumer Price Index.
- Revoke the right of landlords to evict tenants for the purpose of sale.
- Move from current 4 year leases to indefinite lease terms.
The Events
- LIMERICK: Thursday, November 17th at 7pm in IMPACT offices, 30-36 Roxborough Road, Limerick [Facebook event page]
- GALWAY: Wednesday, November 23rd at 7pm in the Harbour Hotel, New Dock Road, Galway
- CORK: Monday, November 28th at 7pm in Imperial Hotel, South Mall Street, Cork [Facebook event page]
An event will also be announced for Dublin in the coming days.
Rent increases costing retail jobs and pushing workers into poverty
Rents have increased by 40% in Dublin over the last five years and 30% nationally, whereas the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased by only 2% during that same period.
Had rents been regulated since 2011, as they are in many European countries, workers would have much higher disposable income to spend in the local economy, protecting jobs in the retail and bar trades.
Many retail and bar workers in the Dublin area are now spending up to 60% of their income on accommodation. This means they don’t have enough income to provide food and clothing and other essential goods, resulting in 10% of the Irish population experiencing food poverty and 35% of children experiencing multiple deprivation.
If rents are not regulated now, the current housing crisis will most likely get worse over the coming years – resulting in further homelessness and even larger social housing waiting lists.
A recent housing report predicted rents rising by 25% in the next two years, highlighting the urgency of this campaign. You can use an online calculator here to see what your rents could be in 2021 if the government refuses to regulate rents. The figures are frightening.
Why now?
The government intends to launch a plan for the private rental sector in December, but indications are that they will not include rent certainty. We only have a number of weeks to convince them otherwise and that’s why we are hosting these public meetings.
Please come along to your local meeting and have your say.
Further details on this important issue are available here.
Why not download and print a poster for your workplace notice board by clicking below.
Limerick – Click here.
Galway – Click here.
Cork – Click here
