Dublin City Council tenants continued their ‘Drop the Hikes’ campaign with another protest outside City Hall yesterday evening.
Councillors, housing activists, and affected tenants have continued to voice their opposition to the new Differential Rent Scheme, which was narrowly passed by a single vote when the budget was agreed last November. The given reason for rent increases was to make up for a shortfall in the council’s housing maintenance budget, which tenants said feels particularly ironic given the cancellation of the planned regeneration of Oliver Bond House in Dublin 8.
Oliver Bond tenant Gayle Cullen Doyle called out DCC for having “the cheek” to increase their rent while they are forced to continue living in “absolutely disgraceful” conditions. “Shame on them, not one of them is living in these conditions,” she said.
Gayle said it upsets her to speak badly about her own complex, but that they are left with no choice but to live in an “absolute dump” while the decision makers of DCC sit “up there in their high chairs.” “I’ll do a home swap with any one of them, come and live in Oliver Bond, we are living in absolute vile conditions,” she said.
A pensioner named Paul also spoke about receiving just €10 in the last budget while facing a €25 rent increase. “Look at the conditions we are living in and they want us to pay more for it, there should be more people protesting,” he said.
“We have a by-election coming up and do you know how many so-called members of parliament came to talk to our complex? Two – People Before Profit [ Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin ] and [Sinn Féin Councillor] Janice Boylan.
CATU members protesting Dublin City Council rent hike
“They won’t come because they can’t face us. My flat is damp and in the winter I have a heater at my feet and a pair of gloves in my hand. For that pleasure they are going to charge me an extra €25. I’m not paying it. I don’t care. No way, we won’t pay.”
Cllr Boylan spoke to Dublin Live outside City Hall about the “disgraceful” decision by central government to halt the regeneration of Oliver Bond and said there are too many flat complexes dealing with “mould, damp, and awful conditions” that aren’t addressed for “months upon months.” “DCC has hiked their rent and they are saying ‘enough is enough, we can’t cope with this’.”
As a candidate in the upcoming Dublin Central by-election, Cllr Boylan cited Sinn Féin’s policy of regenerating all of Dublin’s flat complexes in need for refurbishment. “We would put money into them and talk to communities,” she said.
She said that the planned regeneration of Oliver Bond previously showcased the correct way of doing things, but right when they were at the finish line “government backed out” and took away “the last piece of the puzzle,” which was funding.
“We would make sure that funding is provided for. In the immediate terms, the rent hikes must be reversed and in the Dáil we are calling for an emergency budget to help people with the cost of living crisis as well,” she said.
People Before Profit by-election candidate Ó Ceannabháin spoke out against “the biggest rent hike council tenants have experienced in thirty years.” Considering the ongoing cost of living crisis, he said tenants simply do not have the money to pay higher rates.
“People Before Profit opposed and will continue to oppose the rent increases. Our councillors proposed a fully balanced ‘Rate and Rebate’ amendment that would have scrapped the rent increases. Our amendment would have improved housing maintenance, increased enforcement of private rental standards, provided for new enforcement of planning laws on whole-home short term letting, and a Local Business Support Scheme by raising effective rates payments on the city’s largest businesses. Unfortunately, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour and Green Party Councillors rejected our proposal.
“But this is not over. On the contrary, momentum is building behind the campaign to have the rent increases reversed. The Dublin Central by-election is an important opportunity for Council tenants to reject Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, and their war on tenants.”
The new Differential Rent Scheme came into effect on April 6. Dublin City Council has outlined the main changes tenants face as follows:
A statement from Dublin City Council on the Differential Rent Scheme outlined the main changes as follows:
The Differential Rate for primary earners will move from 15% to 18% of net income.All Secondary Earners will each pay up to a maximum of €40 per week.The income not assessed will increase from €32 to €55 to lessen the impact on lower paid.Child deduction would increase from €1 per week to €3 per week per child under 18 or in full time education to 22 years old, to lessons the impact on tenancies with children.Self-Employed tenants will have an assumed income of €700 per week, if no supporting documentation is provided.
“The new Differential Rent Scheme will generate an increase of c.€33m in income over a full 12-month period. The additional income will fund improvements to our existing homes and will ensure the City Council can take a more financially sustainable approach to the maintenance of homes. The types of work will include; energy efficiency upgrades; boiler replacements; improvements to our flat complexes and communal areas; replacement of window, doors and roofs; and adaptations to existing homes,” the statement from the council said.
This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
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