Save our home

**WE NEED SUPPORT TO SAVE OUR HOME**

This is our story:

With rents soaring to an all time high and mortgages becoming harder to obtain, we needed a plan. Like most people our age, renting in the private sector whilst also trying to save became impossible. That's when the idea of temporarily living in a cabin (to the rear of a privately owned home) to continue to save up for our own home, became appealing.
If fortunate enough to be in a position to do this, that's great. The council will not have a problem with it nor will they approach you. Planners acknowledge the proliferation of log cabins across the city. If no objections are made they can turn a blind eye. However, if there is an objection.. Then it becomes a "planning issue". Which brings us to our current situation, in short.. DCC enforcement have ordered the cabin to be removed on the basis of one complaint, from one neighbour. There's not much need to go into details but everyone who is familiar with the situation has seen first hand how this particular neighbour has treated myself and my family throughout this ordeal and I can only hope that they hang their head in shame at their disgusting behaviour.
We're calling on the council to relax the laws and clarify the grey area regarding permission for these sorts of temporary structures at the upcoming meeting on 25th september.
I'm not suggesting allowing these structures is going to fix the housing crisis. There are record numbers nearing 20,000 on Dublin City councils housing list.
1,338 families with 2,886 children are living in homeless accommodation in the Dublin area.
Building houses is the only real solution but Ireland does not have a public housing system to meet the needs of society and the countries housing crisis is most likely down to housing being treated as a commodity rather than a human right.
It's simply not acceptable.
The right to housing is recognised by the United Nations (article 25 in the universal declaration of human rights) and the UN have been active in highlighting homelessness as a VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS. Being deprived of a home gives rise to a social identity through which "the homeless" is constituted as a social group subject to discrimination and stigmatisation. This housing crisis affects people in so many different ways, and it's going to continue to affect us and have a knock on affect for years to come. Most frightening, its damaging the children, the youth of this country and in turn the future of this country.
If by allowing these structures temporarily will help even a few families avoid being part of these statistics.. It's worth it right? Because every family matters.
Just one of the many "immediate obligation of states" from the UN is to eliminate the practice of forced eviction, especially when it would lead to homelessness.
I believe that having a place to call home is the most fundamental of human rights. For me personally a "home" is somewhere safe and secure where my two boys can feel comfortable and be themselves.
This is exactly what we have provided for them as our response to this housing crisis and we won't let it be taken away from them without a fight.
Please help us raise awareness on this and show your support by signing our petition..thank you!