Urban austerity and activism: direct action against neoliberal housing policies

The struggle for affordable housing reflects the widespread structural tensions that exist between property markets and the provision of housing. Recent years have seen frequent protests that have highlighted problems in the Irish housing sector, along with the emergence of various housing movements, especially in Dublin, where the lack of affordable housing is severe. This paper argues that these campaigns have contributed to the increased public debate on commodified housing models, signalling a strong demand for a coherent and inclusive national housing policy in Ireland. In particular, I examine the activities of the Home Sweet Home movement (HSH), a collective organization of housing activists that occupied the Apollo House building in Dublin’s inner city in 2016–2017. This movement challenged private housing market solutions and the central role played by financialisation in economic and social life. Whilst considering that Ireland is suffering a housing crisis which cannot be easily solved, this paper combines a critical analysis of housing movements that resist neoliberal housing models, the HSH action in this context, and the challenges involved in changing the government’s approach to housing.