Petition to change the unwritten rules about housing the homeless in Co. Wicklow I have been homeless in Co. Wicklow since 07/07/2017, after I was illegally evicted. I didn’t do anything wrong and with 4days notice, I went from living in a house, into living in my car. During my time being homeless I have become familiar with some of the unwritten rules about being homeless in Co. Wicklow, and I think those rules are unfair, unjust and unnecessary. Rule No.1: People who have pets don’t deserve to be housed. I’m autistic, I am unable to create closely bonded friendships with people. I don’t have what you would call “a safety net”. I do have a need to be loved and needed, and my pets love me and need me. I don’t think it is right for people to tell me that I don’t deserve to be housed, because I refuse to get rid of my pets. They are not toys I could toss away like that. Rule No.2: You have to be homeless for at least 8years before being eligible for Council Housing. When I first got on the Wicklow County Council emergency housing list, back in 2017, I was told that it would be at least 10years, before my name came up to be housed. I tried to get an appointment to speak to Wicklow County Council housing officer last December, before there was any hint of this Covid-madness, but I was told that it was not possible. I contacted Wicklow County councillor Sylvester Bourke few months ago, and after doing some enquiries he came back with the information that there is no chance of me getting into Council Housing, because I haven’t been homeless long enough. 3 YEARS IS NOT LONG ENOUGH TO BE HOMELESS. Last week I spoke with a Simon Community Social worker who told me that there is no hope for me getting housed in public housing, because in Co Wicklow YOU HAVE TO BE HOMELESS FOR AT LEAST 8 YEARS, before being considered for council housing. I tried to find out how many homeless people there are in Co Wicklow: According to this source: https://www.eastcoast.fm/news/wicklow-news/latest-homeless-figures-show-slight-drop-in-county-wicklow/ There were 24 homeless in Co Wicklow, living in emergency housing in December 2019. According to this source: https://www.eastcoast.fm/news/wicklow-news/new-figures-show-rise-in-homeless-numbers-in-county-wicklow/ There were 20 homeless in Co Wicklow, living in emergency housing in November 2019. Obviously these figures are nowhere near to the real number of homeless in Co Wicklow, because they are only counting the people in emergency housing, not the people sleeping rough, couch surfing, or living in less than adequate housing. I could not find information on the real number of homeless in Co Wicklow, but if there are less than 100 homeless in Co Wicklow, why do they have to be homeless for at least 8years, before being eligible for housing? I have not been able to find any written records of these rules, probably because they would be too shameful and inhumane to put into writing, but they seem to be very solid and unbreakable unwritten rules, because I have heard them repeated enough in past 3 years. I believe that people who have pets do deserve to live in adequate housing, and being homeless for 1day should be long enough to be eligible for public housing. If you support this cause, please sign and share this petition.

In Ireland our individual ecological footprint is approximately 5.2 Global Hectares per Capita (ghc) but the Planet’s actual capacity is only 1.8 ghc: we are living as if there are almost three Planet Earths. This way of life is not only contributing to mass extinction, pandemics and extreme economic inequalities, it means that, in all likelihood, our country will be uninhabitable for our grandchildren. A One Planet Development scheme would give people the option of moving out of the city and into the countryside to pioneer a way of life that goes some way towards bringing the human-nature relationship back into balance. It would allow people to build small low-impact dwellings, to establish community and to work with the land in a regenerative way to bring systemic change to our food systems.

Nursing homes are not suitable places for young people to live an independent life. Jennifer Hynes is a 42 year old woman, forced to live in a nursing home in Ennis since April 2019 with no plan agreed to end it. Up to then Jennifer lived in her own house. Due to lack of HSE support she was moved into a nursing home. She passionately wants her forever home in Ennis. Her own LA house is still vacant as we write this petition.

Airbnb is a a major factor on homelessness. As Airbnb is so unregulated many landlords are evicting tenants to turn their premises into nightly lets. This is causing the massive reduction of properties available in the private rental market. Therefore pushing up the cost of rents. The People of Ireland are living in hotels and B&Bs while the tourists are living in the houses. Until this sector is regulated and the rules enforced this will continue to happen. Covid 19 has highlighted this, we saw 1000s and 1000s of houses lying empty because travel restrictions. I am urging the Government to do someting about this once and for all.

1- Liveaboards create vibrant communities and safe spaces across canals and rivers, enhancing the charm and character of our Waterways for locals and tourists alike. 2- Houseboats are greener, reducing our ecological footprint and use of valuable resources like water, energy, waste, transport among others. Now more than ever, it's time to think about the positive changes we can make to protect our planet. 3- Liveaboards communities and policies have been successfully implemented across several European countries except Ireland currently facing a rising demand for residential and affordable housing. 4- Traditionally, people have been living in boats on Irish waterways and, for just as long, the Waterways authorities have been ignoring the matter. Basically a blind eye was turned to liveaboards 5- There are only 20 residential berths in Grand Canal Dock and a further 8 in Shannon Harbour. There are no residential berths available at any other locations and there are no residential berths available at this time.

What will be the future of our children? By 2030, 1 out of 4 people will live in poor housing conditions. The fast-moving challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic adds another urgent reason to ensure that people can shelter at home and protect their health and families. In Europe today, young people cannot afford to rent a flat in many cities; and a growing number of families cannot pay their heating and cooling bills. Globally, more than half of the urban population lives in slums. Proper housing is a matter of life and death in the current pandemic as people are asked to stay at home to protect themselves against the coronavirus. Home has become more important than ever, and the European Union has a role to play. Join Habitat for Humanity and partner organizations all over Europe in calling on the EU to: · Prioritize affordable housing in the next EU budget for 2021-27, particularly for countries in the global South. · Increase funding for access to water and sanitation and for slum upgrading to protect communities against diseases. · Address energy poverty in the European Green Deal with concrete financial measures. Situation Many countries are unprepared and unable to meet the growing housing needs of urban residents. The expected global population increase of 1,18 billion combined with the existing global housing need, means that approximately 2 billion people will be in need of adequate housing in 2030. This creates an unprecedented housing challenge. Without adequate and affordable housing; without land rights, more and more families are at risk of poverty and insecurity. The current coronavirus pandemic has highlighted importance of housing as the means of protection against deadly diseases. A proper home has become the most important remedy. But it is not accessible to all. Habitat for Humanity works for access to decent housing because it is foundational to individuals and families, to the communities in which we live and to the economies in which we all participate.

Growing local community, business and amenities.

We need these measures implemented immediately. Students have been laid off, many cannot survive off their maintenance loans alone, while others do not receive maintenance support. They cannot apply for universal credit and university Hardship/Support Funds are only limited pots of money that cannot support students through the entirety of this crisis. Landlords and letting agencies are still expecting students renters to pay their rent, and a number of students have received emails threatening court action if they cannot afford to pay their rent. One letting agent suggested that students not paying their rent would contribute to the collapse of the global economy. Many students simply cannot pay their rent, and they cannot be left behind during this pandemic. We deserve clarity and protection from this Executive. #NoStudentLeftBehind

Renters reasonable demands for an amnesty on rent payments for private and local authority tenants for the duration of the public health emergency were ignored. Renters, many of whom who lost their jobs recently are now left with heightened and totally unnecessary action. The Government's solution is to stress about paying their rent and must take more of our public wealth to private Landlords such as HAP and rent supplement to further enrich Landlords instead of redirecting the funds for example into a Welfare fund for workers who have lost their jobs. We call on all renters to support the call in solidarity with each other for a Nationwide Rent Strike.

Nobody should be forced into poverty because of COVID-19. But, right now, employers will be penalised for topping up the poverty payment of €203 per week that temporarily laid of staff are entitled to during the pandemic. If they give their employers extra money, the company won't be entitiled to any refunds. That's why we're calling on Regina Doherty to allow employers to pay their staff their full wages - and reimburse them for the full cost.

With the Coronavirus, Covid-19 pandemic worsening, Vacant Homes should be requisitioned NOW for people who are Homeless, hostels, hubs, hotels, rough sleepers and Direct Provision where social distancing and self-isolation is practically impossible and where the rates of transmission will be higher. There are over 40,000 apartments and houses Vacant in Dublin alone, e.g. thousands of short-term lets (Airbnb, etc.) should be requisitioned immediately. There should be serious measures introduced NOW to put people first and safeguard everyone in our society. Please sign and share.

In the very near future, thousands of private renters across Northern Ireland will face huge reductions in their income and be unable to pay their rent. Being evicted during the Covid-19 crisis will mean being unable to stay safe and healthy, and not spread the virus. The government has announced "mortgage holidays" for landlords and home-owners and Cities in the US including New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco have already taken action to stop evictions. Now it's time to give renters in Northern Ireland the protections they need to keep their homes during the coronavirus crisis.