Cork singer putting housing crisis in the spotlight by sharing personal story

A Cork singer and songwriter who has for more than three years travelled to Leinster House every week to protest the housing crisis has said he was living in what is known as ‘hidden homelessness’ for six months.

Once a week since May 2022, come rain, shine, or even a visit from then US president Joe Biden, Martin Leahy has travelled from Cork to Dublin’s Kildare Street to perform his song ‘Everyone Should Have A Home’.

Last Thursday marked Mr Leahy’s 162nd weekly protest outside the national parliament, and he was joined this week by housing campaigners Jude Sherry and Frank O’Connor.

Mr Leahy began his weekly protests as a reaction to finding himself in a precarious housing situation, which he says has now been thankfully resolved.

“It’s hard to measure the impact this campaign has had, but every week it feels worthwhile, and I don’t feel the sense of powerlessness I felt at the very start, where you’re just reading about the housing crisis and you feel helpless,” he said.

“That sense that you’re doing something makes it feel worthwhile to come up here and do it every week.” 

The singer and songwriter said he regularly interacts with Cork opposition TDs and senators outside Leinster House, but rarely with Government members.

“I took part in last week’s Raise the Roof rally in Cork, and I spoke with Thomas Gould and loads of other opposition politicians at that,” he said.

“I also attended the recent Dublin Raise the Roof, and I feel that there is some momentum behind the movement, and I did feel energised at the rallies.

“It did feel like there is more pressure being put on the Government to do something concrete about the housing emergency.” 

Mr Leahy said that his own housing situation has now resolved, but he was very aware of all of the people who do not have anywhere to turn.

“I’m in a very good situation, but for six months there I was in what’s called hidden homelessness, where I had to stay with friends, but I was very lucky in that I had friends to stay with,” he said.

“It does make you think of people in much worse situations, and families with kids, who have to enter emergency accommodation.”