ACTIVISTS from the Take Back the City campaign occupied the Irish offices of Airbnb today to protest the company’s impact on the housing crisis.
The protestors were able to access the building as it was open to the public as part of architecture festival Open House Dublin.
They gathered in the atrium of the building on Hanover Quay in the Docklands for around two hours, forcing it to close.
During the protest, the activists chanted ‘Airbnb, out out out’ and ‘Ban Airbnb, housing for the bourgeoisie’.
Commission
Airbnb is an accommodation service that facilitates short-term peer-to-peer property lets around the world.
While it doesn’t own any properties, it takes a commission from all bookings.
Take Back the City say that as of August 2018, there were 3,165 entire properties for rent on AirBnb in Dublin, compared to 1,329 properties available for long-term rent on Daft.ie.
During this time, it says there were 1,350 families homeless in the greater Dublin region alone.
'Chaos'
“Airbnb have exacerbated the housing crisis in Dublin and Ireland as a whole,” said Take Back the City.
“A platform that markets convenience by ‘disruption’ has delivered nothing but chaos to the people of our city.
“They have no place in our city – the city should serve the needs of all its people, not the needs of tech, finance and the tourism industry.
“Today was another strong showing of people power and civil disobedience – the only two tactics that can drive a solution to this crisis.”
The campaign group is now calling for a total ban on Airbnb and short-term letting platforms in the city.
See More: Airbnb, Dublin, Housing Crisis, Take Back The City
