A Dublin woman and her eighty-year-old mother facing homelessness were among demonstrators outside the Dail this evening protesting the lifting of the eviction ban.
The Dail are set to debate Sinn Fein's motion to extend the eviction ban to January tonight with votes to be cast tomorrow. The current ban on evictions will expire on March 31.
Whitechurch native Rachel Keely moved to Arklow with her husband, Fanore, in recent years after becoming temporarily homeless due to being unable to find rental accommodation in the capital.
Read more: Interactive map lets terrified tenants share eviction fears as ban set to be lifted
Rachel's eighty-year-old mother has since moved in with the couple, and the three of them are facing homelessness when the eviction ban is lifted as they have received an eviction notice.
Speaking to Dublin Live at today's demonstration outside the Dail, Rachel said: "Things have gotten so desperate that my eighty-year-old mother, ourselves and my dogs are basically going to be homeless in a few weeks.
"It's something that we haven't been able to stop thinking about for the past year. We've been given an eviction notice and we were actually in this same situation four years ago so we know what's ahead.
"People are so desperate and everyday we're crying about it and worrying. Something has to be done.
"We're in Arklow at the moment which is far from where we grew up and we had to move farther than I would have liked. It's sad when you're from Dublin and you can't even stay in Dublin but that's the way it goes."
She explained that they have looked at properties all over Ireland but said that having dogs and being a HAP tenant have caused difficulty with getting a place.
"Thinking about it I'm crying because it's scary," Rachel said. My mum is with us now, she wasn't with us the last time we were homeless. I can't even think about facing putting all of our stuff in storage or where we're going to get the money to find somewhere to go.
"We are very vulnerable. My husband is supposed to be starting a new job but he can't really start that until we know where we're going to live."
Earlier today the Cabinet finalised the Government's counter-motion to Sinn Fein's proposal to extend the eviction ban. This includes an expansion of the existing tenant-in-situ scheme, where local authorities can purchase homes of renters receiving State supports such as HAP and make it available to them as social housing.
Those at risk of homelessness but aren't receiving State supports can have their home purchased by their local authority and rent it to them on a “cost rental” or not-for-profit basis.
A third option will be available for tenants who are in a position to purchase the home they are renting. This will give them the first right of refusal to buy their rental home if it is put on the market and they can apply for a shared equity scheme which will reduce the purchase price of home by up to 30%.
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