Protest seeks to ignite ‘sense of urgency’ on vacant homes in Cork city

PROTESTERS gathered in Blackpool yesterday to highlight the number of vacant homes across the city and in hopes of igniting "a sense of urgency".

A protest at Blackpool’s Madden’s Buildings was called by Cork Solidarity public representatives Mick Barry TD and Cllr Fiona Ryan.

Cllr Fiona Ryan said stated that she believes approximately 10 percent of the housing stock at Madden's Buildings is currently vacant.

“There is a housing crisis in this country and we need to get real about tackling it,” she said.

A spokesperson for Cork City Council, in a statement to The Echo, said: "There are 14 houses vacant in Maddens Buildings at the moment. Six of the properties are due to be tenanted shortly. 

"The remainder are under repair; it is important to note that these properties are over 130 years old and will always require significant works to bring to a lettable standard. 

"The properties were vacated at different points between 2019 and this year and required a lot of construction works."

Meanwhile, Cllr Ryan noted a “growing anger” in Blackpool with the vacancies.

“We feel that public pressure is a must. 

"Are we or are we not in a housing crisis? Is there or is there not a particular shortage of one- and two-bedroom housing? 

"And, how can council possibly stand over vacant properties in this particular category for a question of years, not just months?” 

She said the number of vacant properties shows “a lack of urgency”.

“This protest, we hope, will spark a sense of urgency from the council and I think, register the public’s anger at this. 

"There is actually a great sense of solidarity out there around the housing crisis. People want people in homes, especially here [in Blackpool].”

Cork North Central TD Mick Barry said they are “demanding action.”

 “We don’t have any faith in the government, and we don’t have any faith in the Council,” he said.

“We think that there needs to be a mass protest movement on the streets to demand action on the housing crisis the way that we had people power on the streets with the water charges a few years back.” 

According to the most recent housing progress report from April 2021, there were over 440 vacant dwellings with the highest number in the North West (158) and North East (122) of the city.

“Roughly 10% of the houses in Madden’s Buildings are currently vacant. 

"It is an example of what is going in the city in the sense that there’s now more than 400 council properties that are vacant,” said Mr Barry.

“This is totally unacceptable. There is a serious housing crisis in the country.” 

The protest comes in the wake of the latest statistics on homelessness from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

According to the figures, there were 413 people homeless in Cork city and county during the week of July 19 to July 25.