A GROUP OF housing activists in Waterford have begun a 24-hour occupation of a vacant property in the city centre following weeks of other occupations in Dublin city.

In recent weeks, activists in Dublin have occupied properties on Summerhill Parade and Frederick Street North in protest against the national housing crisis. High Court injunctions have been filed for the vacation of both properties.

Today, activists working under the name of Take Back The City Waterford have occupied a building which they claim is owned by Waterford City and County Council on O’Connell Street, after being inspired by recent occupations in Dublin. However, the council has yet to confirm this to TheJournal.ie.

While the group has a similar name to the Dublin group, it’s understood that they are working independently from them.

They are demanding that “the government and their representatives in the council take action to end the [housing] crisis” after latest figures released last week showed another rise in homeless numbers.

“It’s just to take the essence of what’s going on in Dublin and to highlight in Waterford City that there are buildings under their noses that are owned by the council that would take very little to get them to be livable,” Local People Before Profit representative Una Dunphy told TheJournal.ie.

“They could be fantastic places for people to live. They would bring vibrancy as well to the city centre,” she said.

The activists have outlined a number of demands on their social media page today.

They’re calling on the council to build affordable social housing on the land banks at Carrickperish and Kilbarry. They’re also calling on the council to invoke compulsory purchase orders and use those homes.

“They don’t have the finger on the pulse with this at all and the crisis is deepening,” Dunphy said.

The occupied property

According to the activists, the property that they have occupied is a former Presbytery.

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Speaking of why they chose this specific building to occupy, Dunphy said: “It’s city centre, it’s huge, it’s an old building with a preservation order on it and it’s owned by the council.

For that reason, we feel it’s something they could act on immediately, it’s nobody’s private property, it’s owned by us.

“When we think of apartments in the city centre, I’ve lived in them myself, they’re tiny little shoeboxes. This is a huge building that has big huge rooms and it could be a fantastic apartment block.”

Unlike the occupations which have taken place in Dublin in recent weeks, which have seen activists occupy properties for days and weeks, the Waterford group plan to stay put for just 24 hours.

“We wouldn’t have that many people to do it. You need a huge commitment and I think you’d only get that in a big city. We just want to highlight it to show people that this is what’s on our doorsteps,” Dunphy said.

“It mightn’t be the only one we’ll do either.”

Waterford City and County Council has been contacted for comment.