Download our Autumn 2019 newsletter to stay in-the-know on housing news and sign our Charter for Housing Action:
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Grenfell Never Again: Safe Homes Petition
Grenfell Never Again: the Daily Mirror newspaper and Fire Brigades Union have launched a campaign to make our homes safer.
Sign the petition today and let us know if you can help link up with unsafe blocks in your area.
Petition Here:
https://www.megaphone.org.uk/
Find out more information about the petition here:
https://www.fbu.org.uk/news/
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/
Next Organising Meeting – June 29th, London and Parliamentary Debate on Council Housing
The next Homes for All organising meeting is on 29th June 11am at:
Unite Office in Moreland St EC1V 8BB.
Let us know if there’s anything you want to raise, or report. And keep in touch to build the action where you are! Contact us here.
Whoever is the next Prime Minister, we need action on housing now. This week sees an MPs debate, and also marks the second anniversary of the terrible Grenfell fire.
On Thursday 13th June MPs will debate radical plans to build 100,000 council homes a year. Can you email your MP, ask them to attend the debate (from 2pm in Westminster Hall) and vote for the motion?
Find MPs here: https://www.parliament.uk/get-
And if you are near London, there is a protest 2pm Parliament Square, to demand urgent action. Join if you can.
Grenfell Protests: 6th , 14th and 15th June 2019, London
On 6th June backbench MPs will debate the scandalous failure to rehouse Grenfell tenants or remove toxic waste, improve building and fire regulations, and remove dangerous cladding and other risks to homes.
We will join Grenfell and housing campaign groups at:
Parliament Square, London from 11am on the 6th of June 2019
Let’s demand action on homes, an end to housing deaths and Justice for all at Grenfell and those round Britain still threatened by cladding and building failures.
Please email your MP asking them to join the debate: https://www.mysociety.org/
Friday 14th marks the Grenfell two year anniversary, with a Silent Walk in London:
7pm start: https://www.facebook.com/
And in other cities and towns across the UK.
On the 15th June, Grenfell community organisations are holding a protest march to demand justice and action on toxic waste and rehousing. We are backing this march, and invite local groups to invite a speaker, order leaflets and build support from others in your area.
https://www.facebook.com/
We will be assembling at Downing Street, SW1 12 noon. Join us, with other tenant groups, trade unions and community organisation, to demand justice.
See leaflet:
http://www.axethehousingact.
Stop HA Deregulation and Next Organising Meeting, London – 25th May 2019
Our next organising meeting is on 25th May 2019, 11am-1pm at:
Unite Office, Moreland St EC1V 8BB.
Come along, or email ideas and reports from local housing action.
Plans from 27 April meeting:
http://www.axethehousingact.
Housing associations (HAs) – Stop Deregulation and Sell-offs
Let’s push to return Housing Associations to their roots and restore public regulation and accountability.
Can your tenant, community, trade union or political party discuss this resolution?:
http://www.axethehousingact.
Notes: http://www.axethehousingact.
And ask them to sign up to our Charter for Housing Action too:
http://www.axethehousingact.
Get in touch for more details, leaflets or to discuss these plans.
Bad Housing Makes Us Sick: Action Plan and Next Steps
More than 100 housing campaigners, tenant reps, doctors and health workers, trade union members and others came and made for a brilliant day of sharing ideas, being inspired and planning action.
See the final action plan below. Thanks to everyone who came and/or supported the event.
Final Action Plan:
Support and build 15 June ‘Grenfell – Never Again’ protest march in central London
Demand grant funding for existing and new council housing.
We need an enforceable right to repairs for all tenants, linked to a regular inspection regime
Housing rights must be enacted and reinforced, with extended and strengthened independent tenant organisation
Back to campaigning – street stalls and action to expose Universal Credit, empty properties, temporary accommodation, NHS- and other public land sales or other local issues
Back the Charter for Housing Action in 2019 – get wider support and extend the alliance for action
Stop the deaths due to bad housing – event at parliament date tbc
Workshop action points:
A) Universal Credit and benefit cuts
Stop and scrap Universal Credit
Scrap the Bedroom Tax and reinstate rent controls
Campaign to take the arguments out to people (including at job centres) and challenge the culture of blame and stigma
Demand commitment to no evictions due to benefit arrears – from councils, housing associations and private landlords
Lobby Labour and others including GPs organisations, for a change of policy on benefits
We need an accessible information and welfare rights network
B) Housing Safety after Grenfell
Support and build a demonstration in central London 15 June: especially highlight housing and health contamination issues
Extend Freedom of Information Act to cover any private contractor delivering publicly-funded services or used by public bodies, eg HAs
Promote and distribute ‘Tower Blocks UK’ safety check list and encourage local distribution to tower blocks
Bring building regulation and controls back into public hands and extend tenant control
C) Housing insecurity and mental/physical health wellbeing
Community action – link housing and health activists; protect community
Cost of housing crisis estimated at £100-£150,000 per head. This needs to be invested in community health, including legal advice, community action, and decent, secure,affordable homes
Stand together – Unite!
- Watch one of our guest speakers Raquel Rolnik discuss her observations of Britain’s housing crisis in her role as a former United Nations Special Rapporteur:
https://www.facebook.com/john.orr.94617/videos/ 10219312329548654/
Photos courtesy of Debbie Humphry.
Bad Housing Makes Us Sick – Event, London, March 30th 2019
Join us at the ‘Bad Housing Makes Us Sick’ event on March 30th in London.
This day of discussion with doctors, homeless campaigners and others will focus on how our housing problems are linked to growing mental and physical ill health.
Raquel Rolnik, former UN Housing Rapporteur, who exposed the Bedroom Tax during her 2014 UK visit, will open the event.
She joins Guardian columnist Dawn Foster, campaigning doctors, Generation Rent, Fran Heathcote of PCS union, Deborah Garvie from Shelter, Justice for Grenfell and Ellen Clifford of Disabled People Against Cuts.
Please find the days programme here: Bad Housing Makes Us Sick programme
Time and Place of the event:
10 AM – 4PM at Unite The Union, Moreland Street, London EC1V 8BB
Workshops planned for the day include:
- Universal Credit and Benefits Cuts, What They Are and How to Fight Them
- Housing Safety After Grenfell
- Housing Insecurity and Mental Health
Let us know if you want any publicity materials, and share the Event:
And book your place here:
We look forward to seeing you there,
Grassroots Campaigns Updates
Grassroots campaigns are stepping up across the UK. Support local action in your area and let’s make a stand on housing justice this year.
See the latest campaigns in Southend:
https://www.facebook.com/
Luton:
https://www.facebook.com/
East London:
https://www.facebook.com/
Please share and support these groups and also please sign and circulate this petition objecting to Housing Association homes being sold off:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/
Send details of any housing actions in your community you want to share and publicise. Email us or contact us on social media.
Charter for Housing Action in 2019
January 2019 Briefing and Next General Meeting – February 16th, London
In January we welcomed the Shelter commission report ‘Building for our future – A vision for social housing’ and the recommendations for:
• A 20 year programme of investment to build 3.1 million social homes
• New, effective regulation of all landlords
• Tenant organisation or tenant unions
• Reforming private renting, including ending Section 21 evictions
We think this needs to include:
• A clear commitment to build 100,000 council homes a year for rent at social rent with secure tenancies
We will campaign for all political parties to include a commitment to implement these recommendations, in their next election manifestos. Alongside this, we will actively support a campaign to implement the Shelter recommendations, and push for more action – now and in the future – to ensure a society where everyone has a safe, secure home they can afford.
We will be working with TUC London East and South East to create wider support and action on this, and on the detailed action points from the Housing Summit.
If you can, come to our next organising meeting on 16th February 2019 11am at:
Unite office
33-37 Moreland St, London EC1V 8BB
All welcome to help organise action in 2019. Or email any questions or suggestions. Please see our decisions from the last meeting:
http://www.axethehousingact.
