Cork’s derelict danger: ‘Hard to believe’ the conditions some people are living in

A CORK activist has raised serious concerns about people living in dangerous conditions in seemingly derelict properties in Cork City.

Frank O’Connor and his partner Jude Sherry, who run Anois, have undertaken an initiative aimed at tackling dereliction in Cork city, and have identified and recorded figures relating to derelict properties in Cork.

During the course of their work, Mr O’Connor said they have been shocked to come across a number of occupied properties that initially appeared to be derelict.

Mr O’Connor emphasised that they always ensure there is nobody living in a house before documenting dereliction through photographs used for educational purposes.

He said that, while the numbers of people living in such conditions are modest, they continue to serve as a cruel reminder of the extent of Cork’s housing crisis.

“There are examples of these living conditions across the city and while it is not a huge number they do shine a light on an important issue,” he said.

“Every street that we photographed we went back again and again.”

Mr O'Connor suspects that some people living in the properties are suffering from mental health issues, and he fears that the living conditions are likely to exacerbate both mental and physical health issues.

“Obviously, we are looking at these houses from the point of view of the exterior,” he said.

“We don’t want to photograph them because it wouldn’t be nice for people, especially since it shines a light on the type of conditions they are living in.

“They are extreme examples. There are cases where it’s to do with maintenance issues.

“There are different levels in terms of dereliction and very bad conditions. The conditions looked unhealthy both from a mental health and emotional point of view.

“There would have been safety and structural issues that you often see with the derelict properties.

“There is the wellbeing element to living in a property like this but also physical health issues in terms of what you are breathing in.

“They can attract vermin too but one of the biggest concerns is for people’s emotional health.”

He said the aim of the project is to educate the public about the issue as well as bring about changes in policy, and the couple are happy to see progress in relation to dereliction.

“We started this in June 2020 and have seen a big change in the last couple of years,” he said.

“We are coming from a position where people were resistant to change and accepting of the normalisation of dereliction to a cultural shift where we can see first-hand policy changes.”

“It’s hard to believe there are people living in some of the houses due to their condition.”