Add your voice to the call for housing justice during the Covid-19 pandemic by writing to the Housing Minister.

You can use our ‘Letter to Jenrick’ template, adding your own comments. Download the model letter here: 
http://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Jenrick-letter-final.pdf.

Also, sign the Southwark petition, to get empty homes requisitioned and 
opened up for the homeless.

Housing pressures are mounting as the health crisis continues. Millions 
are losing pay, and can’t afford the rent. Or are in unsafe, overcrowded 
homes.  We need to increase pressure on our politicians to act, and 
support each other to avert misery.

On Saturday 2nd May at 11am our next organising meeting will be held via Zoom. Meeting details will be emailed to our mailing list – email us to join.

With estates still being emptied and demolished, and some sitting empty, along with thousands of other empty homes, we’ll hear from campaigns about how we stop the demolition and get people rehoused now.

To discuss:

• Updates on latest situation
• Stop demolition – fill the empty homes with Tanya (Southwark DCH) and Will (Action on Empty Homes) – see https://www.actiononemptyhomes.org/pretty-vacant  and https://www.insidehousing.co.uk
• Letter to Housing Associations (Glyn)
• Any other action plans

Get in touch if you want help with how the lockdown is hitting you and your neighbours. 

Also on May 9th, we’ll be hosting a big online public meeting with UK, US and other tenant groups, and John McDonnell MP.  Details to follow.

Sign our updated Charter for Housing Action 2020. Let’s keep the pressure up on all political parties to make secure, truly affordable homes a reality for everyone.

If you agree with our demands for action, send an email or print out and post us the short form to add your name. Ask your MP and councillors, trade unions and local groups, to sign up in support too.

Our next meeting will be held on 14th March 2020, 11am – 1pm at:

School of African and Asian Studies (SOAS), 10 Thornhaugh St, Bloomsbury, London WC1H 0XG

Let us know what’s happening locally, and if there are things you want to discuss.

Shelter have launched their London campaign, calling on the next 
mayor to strengthen policies for ‘social rent delivery’ and to end the 
conflation of so-called Affordable and London Living Rent.  Read the summary and the full report:

https://england.shelter.org.uk/professional_resources/policy_and_research/policy_library/policy_library_folder/report_a_capital_in_crisis

Our first organising meeting of 2020 on 18th January had a fantastic turnout, with people from Harlow, Southampton, Aldershot and Horsham, and at least 13 London boroughs, representing council, housing association and private tenants, councillors and trade unionists.  There was determination to build the campaign in the year ahead, and a good, open discussion about how to do this.

We agreed to:

  1.  Update the Charter for Housing Action for 2020

  2.  Send the Charter to Mayoral and council candidates, and to Labour leadership/deputy leadership contenders, asking for their endorsement. Also invite other groups to support and add their names.

  3.  Update “Vote Housing” flyer in time for May elections.

  4.  Need to form more contacts/links for national campaign against Universal Credit.

  5.  Support Justice for Grenfell in building and organising event in April in Kensington, raising critical issues around the inquiry, fire safety etc.

  6.  Attempt to open up discussion with Extinction Rebellion

  7.  Need to be vigilant about forthcoming demolition ballots, and share information asap.

  8.  Improve our social media operation.

  9.  Consider a possible housing hustings prior to May elections.

  10. Use the Charter and other material for local actions, stalls etc.

Vote Housing  

Council homes and rent controls win huge support

Millions of us are trapped without a secure, safe home we can afford – because the private market has failed to build the homes we need. Billions of pounds of public money have been wasted subsidising private developers, who’ve make record profits, while housing need has soared.

In 2019 tenants, trade unionists and housing campaigners together demanded action for:  

·        A 20 year programme of investment to build 3.1 million non-market rented homes.

·        New, effective regulation of all landlords.

·        Independent tenant organisations.

·        Reforming private renting, including ending “no fault” Section 21 evictions.  

We asked all political parties to commit to build 100,000 council homes a year, with secure tenancies, paid for with direct government investment. Now make 12th December election about housing   [The main parties have announced their housing policies for the election on 12th December.  

·        The Conservatives say they will continue to rely on private developers to build housing.

·        The Lib/Dems have a commitment to “social” housing, but make no mention of council housing.

·        Labour says it plans to build 150,000 new social rented homes a year, 100,000 of them council homes.  Shelter has welcomed Labour’s policy, calling it “transformational”.  The National Housing Federation said it would be a “game changer”.  
#VOTEHOUSING

Download our #VOTEHOUSING flyer here: HFA-DCH_GE2019_A6_2pp_print

The election is on and we need to make sure all parties are put on the spot to demand housing action. Can you help by:

1. Contacting local candidates to sign our Charter for Housing Action: http://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/charter-for-housing-action/

2.  Organise a local housing hustings, to put candidates and their parties on the spot.  Link up with local tenant groups, housing and other campaigns to help.  Email us for leaflets, and any other help.

3.  Contact key people deciding on Labour’s 2019 Manifesto. This needs to include action to:

• Build 100,000 council homes a year for social rent;
• Ring-fence an annual £10 billion housing grant to deliver these; 
• Rent controls and more rights for private renters (as supported unanimously at this year’s Labour conference).
• Ask your candidate and Labour party leadership to ensure this action is included in Labour’s 2019 manifesto.

We have postponed our next meeting until after the election.  

If you want leaflets, stickers or other help for local campaigning, get in touch. We will email again with updates on our short films to share on social media, on why we need action on housing. And with details of election events on housing.

We are determined to keep up the pressure for action, now and in the coming general election.  As the housing crisis gets worse, 210,000 children are registered as homeless, some of them living in shipping containers, while Government does nothing.

We will be making election preparations. to keep the pressure up on tenant’s rights, regulation of private and housing association renting and investment in new and existing council homes.  

Next General Meeting:

Saturday 19th October, 11am, Homes for All open meeting, Unite the Union, 33 – 37 Moreland Street, London, EC1V 8BB

Other Upcoming Meetings – London:

Monday 14th October, 6.30pm, SHAC open meeting, Unite HQ, 128 Theobalds Road, London WC1X 8TN

Saturday 26th October, 12pm, Defend Council Housing national meeting, Unite the Union, 33 – 37 Moreland Street, London, EC1V 8BB

Write to MP’s about our Charter for Housing Action

http://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/HFA_charter_A4_v2.pdf

Sign the George Clarke petition:

https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-commit-to-building-100-000-new-council-houses-every-year-for-30-years