LISTEN: Protestors gather at Guildhall in defence of Housing Executive

By Q Radio News

Protestors have gathered at Guildhall Square in Derry/Londonderry in defence of the Housing Executive.

Campaigners say Ministers have starved the body of funding, creating a housing crisis across the province.

The organiser Gavin Campbell is particularly concerned about wide ranging reforms being proposed by the Communities Minister.

Under the proposals, Mr Campbell worries that social housing is being pushed towards privatisation.

"We face a well documented housing crisis in the North with 30,000 on waiting lists including nearly 5000 in the Foyle area – but the Housing Executive has been starved of funding to take the lead on building new houses and upgrading its existing housing stock.

"Instead of putting the Housing Executive’s ability to build new houses on an emergency footing consecutive Stormont Executives have rundown the Housing Executive through disinvestment, directing funding towards unaccountable housing associations and have attempted to push it towards full privatisation.

"It is important we demonstrate our opposition to the privatisation of the Housing Executive.

"The Housing Executive was hard won by the Civil Rights movement here on the streets of Derry, it is particularly cynical for the Stormont Executive to use the cover of a global pandemic, when public attention is elsewhere to make such damaging and drastic changes to public housing in the North.

"Minister for Communities Carál Ní Chuilín announced she would change the classification of the Housing Executive to a mutual/co-operative model to allow it to borrow funding through accessing what’s called Financial Transaction Capital.

"This change might be subtle but it will put the Housing Executive in the private sector. Mutual and co-operative bodies are private sector entities with private sector rules of governance and structures."

Gavin Robinson (pictured here with PBP Cllr Shaun Harkin and Michael Arthur) speaking to Q Radio

Meanwhile, Housing expert Stewart Smyth supports the demonstration and said 'The use of the mutual/co-operative model is a ploy by the Minister and the department, copying their counterparts across the water to pretend that they are not privatising the Housing Executive.

"The actual track record of housing mutuals is clear – they do not stop any of privatisation’s negative impacts from occurring.

"Rents/charges increase, service levels decrease, tenants lose their accountability mechanisms as the finance providers exert their dominance, and senior managers reward themselves handsomely.'

On Friday PBP Cllrs Shaun Harkin & Eamonn McCann will be calling on Derry & Strabane District Council to stand against this attack on the Housing Executive and public housing.

PBP Cllr Shaun Harkin “I will be calling on the Derry and Strabane Council to reaffirm its opposition to privatisation of the Housing Executive and to see it remain a public sector body. We hope the motion can assist in launching a broad campaign to stop the dismantling of the Housing Executive and allow it to take in the lead in building thousands of new homes."

Anyone attending was asked to wear a mask and observe social distancing guidelines. Hand sanitizer and masks will be available at the demonstration.