Housing in Galway is at crisis point. With few houses available, skyrocketing rents, and increasing levels of homelessness, we are in the midst of a housing disaster. A key factor in this is the increase in landlords illegally turning houses into short-term lets (STLs) and advertising them on sites such as Airbnb. Insufficient and unenforced regulation is enabling this, with only 4% of Airbnbs in Galway city having the necessary planning permission. In the depths of a housing crisis, it is unconscionable for houses to be misappropriated into a means for illegally generating income. At the same time, >50 hotels, hostels, and B&Bs in County Galway are used as totally unsuitable accommodation for those seeking asylum in our country. Homes become hotels, and hotels become homes. We cannot allow this to continue.
STLs and the wider issue of touristification are having a serious impact on the local community:
All of this leads to lack of community. Galway is being hollowed out, turned into a theme park for tourists rather than a vibrant livable place for those who call it home.
Meaningful action to tackle STLs. This includes proper enforcement of legislation, a cap on STLs, and introducing the Short Term Tourist Letting Register. All STLs in Galway city and county require planning permission. The Council must enforce existing legislation and bring illegal STLs back onto the long-term market.
A strong community and a vibrant Galway. We must come together and fight to build the kind of community we want to live in.
Over the coming months, we will be carrying out a range of actions to combat STLs and touristification:
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CATU (Community Action Tenants Union) is an island-wide, member-led union for people outside their workplaces. We fight for housing rights and defend our members against eviction and exploitation. Our vision is of an organisation in cities and towns across Ireland, uniting people in a coordinated struggle on housing and community issues that affect us all. Join us!