The Wexford launch of the UP Housing campaign will take place on Tuesday, November 12th in the Coolcotts Community Centre in Wexford Town. The launch, which will include an UP Housing presentation by Brian Leeson, will take place between 7.30pm and 9.00pm. The launch will be free of charge and open to all.
Speaking about the launch local Éirígí activist Gary O’Brien said, “The housing situation in Wexford Town and the rest of the county has been getting steadily worse over the last few years as private rental rates and house prices have risen steeply.
The problem is hitting far more people than the official homeless figures suggest. There are also many individuals and families that qualify as ‘hidden homeless’ - people who are living with their extended families or friends in often overcrowded or otherwise unsuitable conditions.
And in the private rental sector many tenants are handing over a very significant portion of their income just to keep a roof over their heads. This is unsustainable in the long term as money that should be spent on food, clothing, heating and other essentials is instead going towards paying extortionate rent.
Gary O’Brien spreading the UP Housing message in Wexford Town
More and more people are coming to the conclusion that the current approach to housing is fundamentally broken and incapable of being fixed. UP Housing is the ‘big fix’ that’s needed to permanently end the housing crisis.
UP Housing would provide everyone that is need of housing with a secure and affordable home. It would also transform Irish society by ending the transfer of wealth from lower income tenants and the state to private landlords.
The launch on November 12th will give people from Wexford Town and further afield an opportunity to hear exactly what UP Housing is and how it would operate. It’ll also give people an opportunity to ask questions about UP Housing and to get involved in the campaign. I’d strongly encourage anyone that is affected by the housing crisis to come along to the launch.”