The Fórsa-backed Raise the Roof housing campaign has announced plans to hold a series of public meetings across the country over the coming weeks.

The campaign brings together a wide range of unions and other civil society bodies to demand radical new action on the housing crisis.

The housing crisis is now one of the ‘longest and most severe’ in Ireland’s history, according to campaigners.

At the launch event last week, the group announced it would be holding the meetings with a view to building broad public support for solutions to the crisis and alternative policies on housing.

The series of regional and national public meetings will hear from housing experts, trade unions, political parties, and people directly affected by the crisis. Other Raise the Roof demands include rent controls, an end to forced evictions, more secure tenancies, and a legal right to housing.

Speaking ahead of the launch even, campaign coordinator, Macdara Doyle said the policies of successive governments had failed. "We seem to endlessly repeat the same failed policies and keep expecting different outcomes," he said.

Father Peter McVerry, who has worked in homelessness services for over 40 years, acknowledged the complexity of the issue but said there were several measures the Government could take.

Among the proposals he put forward were the implementation of the 1973 Kenny Report, which would allow local authorities to compulsorily purchase land for development, paying lower agricultural land prices.

It will also propose a ban on evictions for up to three years, a 20% reduction in rents coupled with a 50% reduction in tax paid by landlords and outlawing short-term rental websites if they are not compliant with planning permission requirements and other regulations.

Fórsa and ICTU have been supporters of the ‘Raise the Roof’ campaign since its establishment. You can read more about the campaign by clicking on the following link: Raise The Roof. The first Raise the Roof campaign meeting will take place in the Dan Shaw Centre, Navan on June 1^st.