HOUSING activists are staging a protest this afternoon at the Housing Executive offices in Belfast city centre over their treatment of a West Belfast family evicted from their home.
Caitríona McCrudden lost her mother in September 2022 and had applied to take over tenancy of their Clovelly Street bungalow, off the Springfield Road.
Under Housing Executive guidelines, a husband, wife or civil partner – or a partner or family member who has lived in the property for over 12 months – may take over a person’s tenancy when they pass away.
As her mum's sole carer, Caitríona says she submitted evidence of filling the criteria but to no avail and a court order was issued to evict the mother, her daughter Lisa and three-year old grandson. The family were then evicted by Housing Executive officials supported by the PSNI and have been living with family members since.
On Thursday afternoon, a protest was organised by housing rights activist group CATU at the Housing Executive's headquarters in Adelaide Street.
Outside, protestors held a banner reading 'Homeless Executive' while inside CATU members sat on the floor demanding a meeting with Housing Executive officials.
Thursday's sit-in at the Housing Executive headquarters
Annie Nichol from CATU said: "The Housing Executive should not be evicting anyone into homelessness.
"This eviction was not a last resort but a cruel choice taken by a public body with responsibility to prevent homelessness. The Housing Executive exercised choice in how aggressively and traumatically it enforced this eviction. It is choosing to implement a cruel policy to push people out of social housing in the name of reducing waiting lists, rather than building more homes or bringing tens of thousands of empty homes back into use.
"The Housing Executive has a clear duty to protect people from homelessness and a duty of care towards those living in social housing.
"Caitríona and Lisa did everything in their power to engage with the Housing Executive’s processes. They pursued complaints, submitted evidence and repeatedly sought reassurance that they would not be made homeless. They have been failed both by the Housing Executive and by the law.
"By failing to offer suitable alternative accommodation the Housing Executive have not just taken away this family’s home, but their security in any home at all.
"The Housing Executive has dragged Caitríona, Lisa and Cillian through a confusing and gruelling process that provided no security and caused untold damage to their mental wellbeing."
"Our demand is simple. Suitable alternative accommodation for Caitriona, Lisa, and Cillian now.
"We want a meeting scheduled to discuss this and will be remaining here until this is agreed."
