It is now well beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are currently experiencing one of the worst financial assaults on our living standards in decades enabled by the Tories at Westminster. People are being driven from poverty to destitution by horrific energy bills, increasing food costs and rents being driven up by inflation with little policy intervention from Downing Street or Stormont.

We demand that the Department for Communities introduce a moratorium on evictions in addition to freezing rents similar to measures recently introduced by the Scottish Government. This must apply across the housing sector from social housing to private rentals to student accommodation. This should apply for at least the next two years given the crisis isn't going to end for us any time soon. 

It is clear that more and more people are becoming vulnerable to poverty and destitution as a result of the cost of living/greed crisis we're currently experiencing. Let a roof over our heads be the one thing we do not have to worry about. 

The Scottish Government announced a similar measure on 6th September and we, at Derry Against Fuel Poverty, believe it would be a small first step that Stormont could implement to ensure the basic needs of our people come first at this fraught and frightening time. 

We demand that Stormont be reconvened immediately to ensure this current crisis is able to be addressed at a regional level and we call on all political parties and MLAs to publicly back our calls.