In 2007 PPR began working with residents in the Seven Towers high rise complex in North Belfast. Decades of neglect and poor maintenance have left the Seven Towers severely run down. That families continue to be housed in poor conditions in high rise housing points to the real issue – that years after the end of the conflict, housing inequality impacting Catholics in North Belfast continues to exist.

The group have achieved significant improvements in the flats complex including; the removal of pigeon waste from communal landings, the replacement of the sewage system which frequently overflowed through baths and sinks, changes in multimillon pound plans which ignored residents needs and the re-housing of the majority of families into more suitable accommodation. In 2012 they launched the ‘Equality Can’t Wait’ campaign, involving residents from across North Belfast impacted by the issue. The group are calling for a time-bound, resourced strategy to finally tackle housing inequality in North Belfast.

17 October 2014 - Residents advance campaigns in meeting with NIHE Chief Executive

Activists from Equality Can’t Wait and Homeless Action put their human rights campaigns on the housing Chief Executive’s agenda.

On Tuesday 14th October 2014, 15 housing activists from the Equality Can’t Wait and Homeless Action campaigns held a positive first meeting with Ms. Mags Lightbody, Chief Executive of the NI Housing Executive.

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30 June 2014 - MLAs asked to use their powers to make housing strategy an Executive priority

Residents involved in the Equality Can't Wait group have written to MLA’s requesting that they use their powers to make the demand for a time-bound, resourced strategy to tackle religious inequality in housing an Executive priority. Religious inequality in social housing in North Belfast has been a subject of controversy for a number of years, culminating in interventions and recommendations by international institutions.

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27 September 2019 - Hidden homeless won't be denied

On Monday 16th September 2019 a group of hostel residents and local councillors launched “Housing Rights Watch” – an app that will allow them to directly apply to the Housing Executive Chief Executive for official homeless status utilising the formal complaints process.

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26 September 2019 - Lord Mayor calls for homes to be built at Mackies

 

 

On Wednesday 18 September 2019 the Lord Mayor of Belfast, John Finucane, unveiled a mural created by homeless families on the city’s famous International Wall.

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28 July 2017 - £1.1 million spent vesting land to build homes in areas of low demand

Equality Can't Wait group at Hillview site in North Belfast

PPR have raised questions over a number of troubling land deals conducted by the Department for Communities which resulted in a loss to the public purse of over £1.1 million.

Information received under the Freedom of Information Act reveals that the Department spent huge sums of public money over the last ten years buying private land for social housing where the need for additional homes is low.

Nicola Browne, Director (Policy) at PPR said;

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26 May 2017 - Travellers of North Cork launch Accommodation Rights Charter #TNC-ARC

On Wednesday (24th May 2017) Travellers of North Cork launched their Accommodation Rights Charter campaign in University College Cork, alongside plans to monitor the Irish state's progressive realisation of their right to accommodation over the next year.

PPR have been working with TNC since the summer of 2016.

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10 May 2017 - Save the Date! Housing and Accommodation Rights:Lessons from the Grassroots on the 22nd June 2017 at the Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast

Save the Date! Housing and Accommodation Rights:Lessons from the Grassroots on the 22nd June 2017 at the Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast

In the current political climate, where existing socio-economic protections are under concerted attack, the need to explore how change can be built from the ground up has never been greater.

PPR invite you to ‘Housing and Accommodation Rights: Lessons from the Grassroots’ to discuss new and effective campaigns going on in cities across the north and south of Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and the USA.

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27 April 2016 - #BuildHomesNow goes from strength to strength

International Wall Mural

In the run up to elections Equality Can't Wait activists have been very busy securing support for the #BuildHomesNow campaign

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1 April 2016 - Housing4All - End destitution for asylum seekers in Northern Ireland

Housing4All are a group of asylum seekers who are trying to ensure that the human right to housing is realised for destitute asylum seekers in Northern Ireland. 

Between October-December 2015 Housing for All were supported by Participation and Practice of Rights (PPR) to: monitor how their human right to housing was being violated; how it impacted individuals and families; and identify possible solutions.

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8 October 2014 - Equality Can't Wait - Where are we and where to next?

"Any decision on housing in North Belfast has to evidence how it will concretely address the inequality experienced, in this case, by the Catholic community. Attempting to build good relations on the basis of denying the needs, frustrating the rights, and silencing the voices of the poorest is wrong in itself as it is destructive to the goal of building a shared future." Inez McCormack (PPR Founder, May 2012)

PPR's Seán Brady charts the progress of the Equality Can't Wait campaign and outlines what is required of our political representatives to finally address religious inequality in housing across north Belfast.

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