This Group Staged A ‘Citizens’ Intervention’ In Wake Of The Homelessness Crisis, And Seized A NAMA Building

A group of ‘concerned citizens’ seized the Apollo House building last night, to provide accommodation for the homeless. 

The Irish Times reports that cohort is calling itself ‘Home Sweet Home’ (HSH). 

It features people from different backgrounds, including poets, actors, musicians, trade unionists and charity workers. Their supporters include Irish celebrities like Jim Sheridan, Christy Moore, Hozier, Glen Hansard and Damien Dempsey.

This particular building, located on Tara Street, was seized because it is managed by NAMA, and therefore is “belonging to us, the Irish people”, HSH founder Brendan Ogle told IT.

Ogle said there were two main aims to the intervention: to provide “safe, warm accommodation”, and to “focus national and international attention on the unacceptability of buildings lying empty while people are homeless.”

According to the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive’s Winter Rough Sleeper Count, there are 142 people sleeping rough in the Dublin area.

So far the reaction to the intervention has been largely positive, with the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive, the Gardaí, the Council, the Government and NAMA yet to comment.

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