‘We’re living here nearly 30 years and now face eviction – it’s cruel,’ say Palestinian family who fear ending up on streets
A Palestinian family who have lived in Ireland for 28 years are facing eviction from their home at the end of this month.
“My wife and I have packed all our belongings into boxes through all of Christmas and the holidays because we don’t know when we’ll be out on the streets,” said Sameeh Mohammed Mustafa, who arrived in Ireland in 1998 as a refugee from the West Bank in Palestine and now lives in Dublin 15.
The family joined Dublin City Council’s (DCC) waiting list for social housing in 2008. They have been on and off the list for close to 20 years, Mr Mustafa said.
“We’ve been living in this apartment since 2016 – my son and daughter basically grew up here, this is their home,” he said.
“Two years ago, we got a Notice of Termination (NoT) saying we must leave. I then went to the court to challenge it, last July I was given six more months, then some local councillors supported us and got the dates extended up to January 29.”
Currently, Mr Mustafa is a recipient of the Rent Supplement Scheme funded by the Department of Social Protection, a predecessor to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) now managed by local authorities, that supports those who cannot afford to pay rent for private homes.
Bailiffs will come and the family will be physically thrown out if it comes to that
“We honestly don’t know what we can do next, I have been a heart patient for years, worrying about my family has made things unbearable,” he added.
The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) told the Irish Independent that if a landlord wants to end a tenancy that has lasted six months or more, they must have a valid legal reason and share a NoT with the correct notice period.
“The NoT states the reason for ending the tenancy – it must be sent to the RTB on the same day it is sent to the tenant,” a spokesperson from the RTB said,
“Since 2022, tenancies of unlimited duration were introduced into law allowing tenants the right to stay in the property without a set end date if they meet some conditions.”
But for tenancies like Mr Mustafa’s that began after 2016, but before 2022, old tenancy rules apply.
“These tenancies follow a six-year cycle – the landlord can end the tenancy at the end of the six-year cycle without giving a reason,” the spokesperson said.
The family have been given a Notice of Termination. Photo: Stock
People Before Profit Solidarity councillor for Fingal, John Burtchaell, worries the family might not even find emergency accommodation in the time they have been given. “Emergency accommodation in Dublin 15 is full – the end of these few weeks really is the end of the road for the family – then the bailiffs will come and the family will be physically thrown out if it comes to that,” he said.
“Even if they avail of emergency accommodation, which is the worst-case scenario, they’ll be given a hotel room in the other side of the city where they will need to commute for God knows how long for the children’s school.
“All the family will be in one hotel room with no cooking facilities, anywhere to wash their clothes – this is where they’ll need to go, if they lose what is a family home to these children.”
According to a spokesperson from DCC, households at risk of homelessness are assessed before alternate arrangements are made.
“If a household is assessed as being in immediate need of emergency accommodation, it will be offered or a temporary arrangement agreed with the household pending placement,” they said.
Lubna Al Mrayati, Mr Mustafa’s wife, says fears about their children’s future has taken a physical and mental toll.
“Our son has additional needs, so he has a special needs assistant (SNA) in his school who has been very helpful, I worry all the time about how we will help him if we go into emergency housing,” she said.
“We’ve been desperately seeking a new home for the last two years and my mental and physical health has suffered – the stress and anxiety alone have led to significant hair loss, I can’t sleep at night and I have neck disc issues because of it – I’m on medication now.
“Our children are also deeply affected – they often cry and ask us what’s going on – I don’t know what to tell them.”
Despite living in Dublin 15, the family are still on DCC’s housing list – and their hope is to move to a different council to expedite the process.
I can’t sleep at night and I have neck disc issues because of it
DCC confirmed an applicant on their housing list can also express an interest in up to two areas in other Dublin local authorities. However, if they decide to open a social housing application elsewhere, their application with DCC will be closed.
“I have been on the waiting list since 2008 – we were taken off of it in 2016 after we changed our address and it brought us back to the bottom of the list – it’s been 18 years now,” Mr Mustafa said.
DCC told the Irish Independent it attempts to contact people on the housing list through a Social Housing Need Assessment each year. After three attempts to contact them, their application is closed, but this can be appealed within six months, or longer in exceptional cases.
Mr Mustafa has also expressed interest for the housing waiting list for Blanchardstown in Fingal. But with demand for housing at its peak, the wait time might exceed another 10 years, Mr Burtchaell said.
“Typically migrants and refugees end up with DCC because it’s the city centre – and when you arrive here as a migrant or refugee, someone new to the country won’t understand what areas to opt for,” Mr Burtchaell said.
“So people choose places like Ranelagh where you’re very unlikely to get a home for years even if you are higher up on the list – that’s why Sameeh has been waiting for so long.
“Sameeh would be well down the list for Blanchardstown but he’s made it to higher up on DCC’s waiting list – he’s unlikely to get a house in the area he’s opted for even over the next 20 years – so it would be ideal if he could switch to the waiting list for Dublin 15 and keep his place.”
With Mr Mustafa’s health concerns and their son’s education at risk of being interrupted, the family fear they will find themselves on the opposite side of Dublin.
“I have no idea where we will be even if we are to get emergency accommodation – for my son’s SNA, my doctor is here in Dublin 15 and I need to have my heart medication every single day,” Mr Mustafa said. “I’m an older man, over the age of 66 with a heart condition and I don’t know where I will be in a few weeks’ time.”
He added fears around the eviction has affected their lives in Ireland, after close to 30 years of calling it home.
“I’m filled with dread for my family. I’m thinking about the kids, what our future will look like, we’re all constantly thinking about moving – it’s been weeks of just uncertainty,” he said.
“I can’t think, eat, sleep or drive. It’s hard to think that my family and I have been living here close to 30 years and now we’re at risk of being homeless – it feels cruel, it’s just not right. I’ve always been treated well in Ireland – but these last two years, ever since that first letter came, everything’s gone to black.”
The family’s landlord has been approached for comment.