Report: EMPTY HOMES DAY OF ACTION – Saturday 17TH APRIL 2021

We made it happen!

Yes, the empty homes day of action was a great success, with people joining events in Southwark, Newham, Islington, Haringey, Milton Keynes and Harlow. Live streams from some of these events were fed into the online rally, giving it the feel of a live news report, but without the tech capacity or boring conservatism (small c) of the established media. Instead it was punchy, pacey and politically cutting edge, with all the speakers and live streamers giving incisive and detailed analysis with radical, forward looking proposals. Especially loved Jon Glackin from Streets Kitchen, who spoke about homeless people taking over empty buildings, and John Bird pledging support from the Big Issue, and calling us “comrades”. Crucially, this was a solidarity rally, with so many links being made. This bodes well for the next day of action in October.

Special thanks go to all the live streamers. You were the stars of the show!

In the news…

In Islington, activists made the front page of the Islington Tribune and got a solidarity visit from one Jeremy Corbyn! See 2 min Corbyn video here. In Southwark the event at Manor Place was reported in Southwark News, on the front page! And South London Press , which covered the empty homes situation in all south London boroughs. In Newham, the Canning Town event was trailed by the Newham Recorder. Director of Action on Empty Homes and researcher Sam Burgum, and expert on squatting and requisitioning, were interviewed in Socialist Worker. The Suffolk Mercury asked Why are 3,500 homes stood empty in Suffolk? Other reports included the Wirral Globe, the Maldon Standard, and Isle of Wight paper the Island Echo, where ” a staggering 1 in 20 homes are classified as second homes”.

Empty Homes Day of Action Rally n

Watch the Rally on Facebook

Watch the Rally on YouTube

Manor Place Depot, Walworth, Southwark, SE17
Newham, East London
Carpenters Estate Newham, East London
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Islington, North London, Pentonville Prison with Jeremy Corbyn
Pentonville Prison, Islington, North London

More details about the Day of Action here

http://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/uncategorized/empty-homes-day-of-action-saturday-april-17th-2021/

Early Day Motion Template letter to your MP

Template Letter to MPS

I am writing to ask if you will support the Early Day Motion (EDM) tabled by MP John McDonnell to be published on the members website on Tuesday 13th April. It is:

That this House calls on the Government to allocate time on the floor of the House for a debate on the potential merits of extending the moratorium on evictions in response to the covid-19 outbreak; and further calls on the Government to write off all rent arrears accrued during the covid-19 outbreak until the end of March 2022 or later.

We also ask if you would sign a letter from the national housing campaign Home for All to the Guardian making the same demand – you just need to click this link and sign or we can add you if you can let us know the name, title and organisation you would like to use,

Many thanks

Name

Address

HOMES FOR ALL UK

NEXT GENERAL MEETING SATURDAY 10th APRIL

H4A zoom meeting Saturday 10th April 11am

Topic: Homes 4 All General Meeting – followed by Filling Empty Homes
Organising Meeting

Time: Apr 10, 2021 11:00 AM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82622489588

Meeting ID: 826 2248 9588

Agenda
Evictions campaign and Early Day Motion
Empty Homes Day of Action 17th April – stay on zoom to join organising meeting

Manifesto & Hustings.

Council Rents & benefit Cap


AOB

Homes for All Evictions Letter

Dear Members/SupportersPlease see attached Evictions letter that Homes for All discussed at the last H4A meeting.  We would very much like your support to demand an extended ban on evictions and to write off arrears accrued due to Covid-19 pandemic until the end of March 2022 and for Central government to develop an emergency financial package for tenants and landlords to stop evictions.
If you support these demands please can you sign the letter here with your name, title and organisation:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t7g_lIvB9cFZfV8fiUKezmFQxma85siNmZXynECSoSU/edit
Or reply to this email with your name, title and organisation and we will add it to the letter.

Thanking you and solidarity,
Homes for All. 

Next General Meeting Saturday 27th March

H4A zoom meeting Saturday 27th March at 11am

Topic: Homes 4 All General Meeting – followed by Filling Empty Homes
Organising Meeting

Time: Mar 27, 2021 11:00 AM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82147506061

Meeting ID: 821 4750 6061

Agenda

The recent H4A summit debated inequalities in housing, health & wealth
and a government that has failed to offer any long-term solutions during
and beyond the Covid crisis. The Mayoral and local elections are looming
and we have an opportunity to make housing a key issue. We will  be
discussing:

Update from workshops & proposed activities over coming weeks
Action around Mayoral/local elections
Steering Group – need more volunteers
Empty Homes Day of Action 17th April – stay on zoom to join meeting
AOB

‘Empty Homes Day of Action’- Saturday April 17th 2021

We are joining with Action on Empty Homes for an ‘Empty Homes Day of Action’ on Saturday April 17th 2021 Join us!

Rally 11am to 12pm, Saturday 17th April

Online rally with national speakers 11am – 12noon
John Bird Founder Big Issue, Steve Turner Assistant General Secretary Unite Will McMahon, Action on Empty Homes, Tanya Murat, Homes For All, Jon Glackin, Streets Kitchen, Ellen Clifford Author, Disabled People Against Cuts, Moyra Samuels Grenfell Campaigner, Tyrone Scott Shelter, Hannah Berry Greater Manchester Housing Action

Online Rally Facebook Event here

Local Photoshoots and events on Saturday 17th April – ALL WELCOME!

1. Empty Homes Photoshoot at Manor Place Depot, Southwark SE17 Facebook Event here

2. Islington Homes for All Photoshoot at Breakout Café then Roman Way 10:45am

3. East London People Before Profit Facebook Event here EVERYONE WELCOME: please join the protest/photoshoot on Saturday 17th April 11am-12 Meet Morrison’s car park, Silvertown Way, Canning Town, E16 1ED. #thewronghousing

4. Haringey action: Saturday 17th April – 11.15 for 11.30 live stream to #EmptyHomes Rally outside Apex Gardens Seven Sisters Road / Junction Tottenham High Road Facebook event

Other events taking place include Harlow, Rochdale, Milton Keynes.

The Day of Action on 17th April aims to raise public awareness of the rising number of long-term empty homes and homes without a permanent resident in England.

Government and market data show there are around: 

  • 270,000 long-term empty homes
  • 260,000 second-homes without no permanent resident
  • 120,000 Airbnb type short-lets (London Councils estimate there are 80,000 short-lets in London alone)

We are calling this Day of Action for three reasons: 

  1. The pandemic has highlighted the health impacts of Temporary Accommodation and overcrowding – it has created a health emergency.
  2. The wrong kind of housing is being built in metropolitan areas. 
  3. Building the wrong kind of housing has created a crisis of affordability.

What will happen on the Day of Action?

  1. Campaigners will be staging photoshoots using campaign banners and placards outside new developments that do not contain any social housing, decanted council homes, housing association empty homes and older large residential properties that are long term empty.
  2. We will be live streaming a rally at 11am to 12pm, Saturday 17th April on multiple platforms including https://www.facebook.com/emptyhomes/ YouTube Action on Empty Homes YouTube Homes4ALLUK  https://www.facebook.com/Homes4AllUK    The online ‘rally’ will feature live streams from the local photoshoots as well as local and national speakers in the ‘studio’
  3. We will gather all the photoshoots and put them on our national websites and issue both local and national press releases for publicity purposes and demonstrate the breadth of support for the Day of Action. We aim to build a national picture of the problem.

How you can get involved

1. Organise your own local photoshoot or selfie for the Day of Action. Send your photos to info@emptyhomes.com  See below a step by step guide to organising your local event.

2. Order some of Day of Action posters for your photoshoot from Will at Action on Empty Homes – make a £10 donation to Action on Empty Homes to help us cover our costs – they will be available on Monday 22 March.

To order posters: E-mail info@emptyhomes.com

The posters will carry the following messages and hashtags: 

‘We are in a housing & health emergency!’    ‘Take Action on Empty Homes’   ‘Why is this home empty?’ 

#PrettyVacant  #EmptyHomes  #Fillemup #HomesNeedResidents #TheWrongHousing

Homes 4 All will also be using the hashtags

#RequisitionEmptyHomes on Facebook and Twitter

#FillEmptyCouncilHomes on Facebook and Twitter

3. Put out a local press release – there will be a template on the AEH website for you to use if you want to.

4. To find how many empty homes there are in your council area click here. This tells you a lot about empty homes in your area. E.g. one in 9 homes in Kensington and Chelsea are “out of use”.

4. To find out about whole house Airbnbs in your council area visit here: https://www.airdna.co/

5. Use your social media to advertise the Day of Action.

We will post resources on our webpages to help you make the best impact on the day.

https://www.actiononemptyhomes.org/ and http://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/

For more information call

Will at Action on Empty Homes on 07968 950223

Tanya at Homes 4 All on: 07792 786192

Background and resources

Southwark Defend Council Housing has been leading the campaign to #RequisitionEmptyHomes #FillEmptyCouncilHomes since Spring 2020 when it became obvious that the Coronavirus pandemic was killing people in overcrowded housing and homeless people at a much greater rate than the general population. Now, following the successful Homes 4 All Summit in February, Homes 4 All have agreed to take this campaign forward in collaboration with Action on Empty Homes.

To see the Southwark DCH petition and open letter to Southwark Council click here

To see the Southwark DCH arguments for councils to requisition empty homes click here

For more exciting facts about the successful post war peoples’ movement to requisition empty homes by Sam Burgum click here

Resources

Interested in organising an empty homes photoshoot your area? Below are all the resources you will need.

Poster

You can also order hard copy posters for your selfie or event and we can supply posters at A1, A2, A3 and A4 size

Letters

Letter inviting groups and organisations to support the day of action

Letter to candidates in local elections on May 6th CLICK HERE FOR LETTER – if an election is taking place in your area, the letter invites candidates to support the campaign 

If you are unsure whether there are local elections in your area you can check by clicking here

Empty Homes: Fill Them Now! – Online Public Meeting

Join our online meeting on Tuesday 2nd June, 6.30pm with Mark Slater of Rochdale Seven Sisters campaign; Will McMahon Action on Empty Homes; Labour Homelessness campaign, and Tanya Murat Southwark DCH. 

Join the meeting, comment and ask questions through our Facebook  page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/292137258619584/

Or our YouTube channel: Homes 4 All UK

A Minister’s letter to ‘all’ council and housing association tenants, 
sets out what should be happening on repairs, maintenance, gas safety 
and moves.  As most tenants have not received it, see it here: 
http://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Covid19_Letter_to_social_housing_residents.pdf

Despite the crisis and lockdown, Housing Association landlords are 
pushing through rent rises; NottingHill Genesis (NHG) is threatening 
outrageous 25% rises for NHS staff, teachers and other key workers.  
Tenant protests have forced NHG to delay these – but tenants are 
determined to stop this rank profiteering.  Do get in touch if you or 
people you know are affected, or if you can help their campaign.

And you can write to Housing Minister Robert Jenrick, and copy it to 
your own MP, council leader (and us!). We need to keep up pressure to 
ensure thousands don’t face evictions at the end of June, and to get 
funding for a new generation of council homes. 

Model letter with address/email is here:  
http://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Jenrick-letter-final.pdf

Government letter to tenants on Covid, repairs and your rights

This letter from a Minister dated 18 May 2020, says ‘landlords should be able to carry out routine as well as essential repairs’, making prior arrangements with any households isolating or shielding sick and vulnerable people. It includes guidelines for how work should be done and tenants protected: see links in the document including Coronavirus (Covid19) Guidance for Landlords and Tenants.

We can’t leave our safety to chance – so demand your landlord agrees in advance to stick to the guidelines, and agree a procedure if these are broken. All workers in our blocks and homes need to work safely or not at all.

Work on high rise blocks with unsafe cladding or insufficient fire safety, ‘remains a top priority for the Government’, it claims. (So why are there still at least 357 blocks still with Grenfell-style cladding, and 11,000 blocks with risky cladding, two years on from the Grenfell fire?)

This letter, with important information, has not been sent to any of the 4 million+ tenants so far – so we are publishing it to ensure we can prepare and protect ourselves.