The National Homelessness and Housing Coalition is made up of a number of leading housing charities, trade unions, community action groups, political parties and minority representatives. The group is calling on the government to take immediate action to end the current homeless and housing emergency situation.

Figures from the Central Bank suggest that 47,402 family homes (including buy to lets) in Ireland are currently owned by ‘non-bank entities’ or vulture funds, with almost half (48.1%) of these mortgages currently in arrears, over 40% in arrears of over 90 days and 13,193 more than 2 years in arrears.

A statement from the asset manager responsible for these properties said “achieving the maximum sale value of its assets is its primary focus,” highlighting the degree to which tenants are exposed to summary evictions.

IMPACT organiser Joe O’Connor said “The desperate need to address security of tenure and mortgage distress is illustrated clearly by these latest shocking revelations regarding the residents at Tyrellstown, as well as the wider escalating crisis in respect of housing provision.

“Given the hugely significant numbers of families in mortgage arrears living in homes owned by these vulture funds, as well as small businesses operating in these properties, it is clear that a further crisis on top of the current crisis is coming down the line in the housing market,” he said. Joe said that addressing the housing crisis must be a priority for the next government.

Action

The NHHC is calling on any new Government to take the following immediate actions:

• Declare a National Housing Emergency within 30 days of the new Dáil term
• Immediately acquire properties that are available through NAMA and transfer to councils for those on the housing list
• Introduce measures that will facilitate access to finance and build 50,000 social housing units over five years
• Introduce measures that limit rent increases and escalating rents
• End the practice of evicting families who show genuine financial distress in mortgage re-payments
• Introduce a 30% increase in Rent Allowance and HAP to enable access to rented accommodation while the supply problems in public housing are addressed.

Holistic approach

Edel McGinley, directorat the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, said the families given notice of eviction at Tyrellstown include migrants, working and living in Ireland for many years. “There is an urgent need for a holistic approach to housing in Ireland which includes the needs of new communities and low paid workers and gives security to all people living in Ireland,” she said.

Mike Allen, Director of Advocacy at Focus Ireland added “We’re going to hear a lot over the next while about the technical arguments about the legal and financial challenges created by ‘vulture funds’. However, it’s important to cut through this and highlight that this is really a story about families and individuals faced with the very real and highly damaging prospect of losing their homes.

“The situation of these families can be quickly improved by changing the tenancy legislation so that the landlord wanting to sell the property is no longer on legal ground to break the lease agreement with a tenant. This is a simple legislative change the Government could progress at the next sitting of the Dáil which will help these families and also give banks a clear message that Ireland is not willing to let them make excessive profits from the hardship of our people.”