 | |
| Abbreviation | CATU |
|---|---|
| Formation | October 2019 |
| Type | Tenants' union |
| Headquarters | Dublin, Ireland |
| Membership | c. 1,700 [1] (2022) |
| Affiliations | |
| Website | catuireland.org |
Community Action Tenants Union is a national tenants' union in Ireland. Established in 2019, [2] it is a mass membership organisation of "renters, council tenants, mortgage holders and people in emergency & precarious living situations". [3]
CATU is affiliated to ACORN International. [4]
CATU members are organised in local branches across the island of Ireland, [5] with committees elected by local members. A national committee coordinates the work of local branches. [1] CATU organises campaigns at local and national level, and its work is grounded in principles of direct action. [6] [7]
The union's modelled after the Scottish tenants' union Living Rent, as well as being influenced by the work of the National Association of Tenants Organisations. [8]
CATU has its roots in advocacy groups, as some housing rights activists sought to move beyond advocacy and towards organising tenants. [8] Some worked with other organisations such as the Scottish tenants' union Living Rent to learn from their tactics. [8] In addition to this, organisers were also inspired by the National Association of Tenants Organisations (NATO) which had represented tenants in Ireland in the 1960s and 1970s, and lead a national rent strike in the early 70s. [9] From these international and historical inspirations, the Community Action Tenants Union was founded in October 2019. [2] [8]
CATU's membership increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, [8] when the union called for the Republic of Ireland to extend its COVID-19 eviction ban. [8]