The Waterford Flat Dwellers' Association are campaigning against exorbitant rents for substandard flats.
Waterford city is experiencing a wave of industrial development. The economic success in Waterford is not filtering down to the city's flat dwellers, many of whom are dissatisfied with their housing conditions and inappropriately high rents.
Most of them, over 50% of them are uninhabitable; people are just living in conditions which are atrocious.
The Waterford Tenants Association (WTA) was established to pressure Waterford Corporation members into doing something about the condition of privately owned flats, decaying or condemned houses.
They claim that scores of young families are living in one or two rooms, in unsanitary and possibly dangerous conditions.
Brian Colbert of the WTA can prove 'Rachmanism', a byword for exploitation of tenants, is rampant in Waterford. They are calling for the establishment of a tribunal set up to control rents and conditions in flats.
Mother of two young children, Margaret Hennessy, describes the rental property. It has rats, rotten floorboards, damp walls and no proper lighting. She believes these conditions are affecting her children's health. They have tried to get a better flat, but landlords will not take tenants with children.
The only answer now is a council house.
However Waterford Corporation have only built 3,415 homes, and just 500 in the last 4 years. Social worker Susan Ferris explains the background to the current housing shortage, which has approximately 400 people on the housing list.
In the immediate future, there isn't much hope for any of these being housed.
At a WTA meeting, flat dweller air their complaints. One man makes the point that the Constitution of Ireland states equal rights for everyone,
Well, we’d look on that, that everyone is entitled to a house, regardless of how many children they have.
Another man says tenants are scared to attend WTA meetings or speak to committee members. The fear they will be evicted if they have anything to do with the Association.
A Waterford Corporation survey stated 36 of the city's 371 were unfit for habitation. The WTA believe it is closer to one-third of flats in Waterford. The corporation has the power to close flats. It does not use this power because there is no alternative accommodation. There is now a policy to close flats when a tenant gets alternative place to live.
The WTA intends to fight for its members and, if necessary, they will picket the Taoiseach’s house to highlight their grievances.
This episode of 'Newsbeat' was broadcast on 13 January 1971. The reporter is Michael Ryan.
