housing
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New York State of Mind
In the 1960s, a new ideology held that cities were best developed organically and free from central planning. In his latest book, Owen Hatherley explores how these ideas shaped New York — and what they can teach a new generation of socialists. Continue reading
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It’s finally here! Today is the launch of the Hostile Housing Film project
In summer 2019, a group of renters were employed by the London Renters Union to research the concerns of their wider community’s housing situations, along with concerns of their own. The group, called the ‘Our Homes’ Renters research project, was organised by the Hackney branch of the LRU. Continue reading
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London: Join our fight for a Mayor for renters
We need a London Mayor that will tackle the renting crisis and ensure renters have access to safe, secure and genuinely affordable homes. Will you join us in our call for a London Mayor for Renters? Ask the candidates if they will adopt Generation Rent’s policies to fix London’s housing crisis here. Continue reading
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Renters Reform Bill: what is it and what should we be fighting for?
As we’ve seen during the pandemic, our housing system is rigged in the interests of landlords and investors. Our campaigning has won significant protections for renters such as eviction bans, but ultimately the government has chosen to prioritise the profits of landlords over our right to housing. Continue reading
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UK: Launching The Book of Homelessness
The Book of Homelessness is the first ever graphic novel created by people affected by homelessness that tells the stories of their lives. Continue reading
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Pemberstone – the company trying to demolish 70 homes in a Leeds housing estate
After a two-year long battle by families to save their homes, 70 homes in the Sugar Hill estate in Oulton, Leeds remain at risk of demolition. Pemberstone, the company that owns the land, are trying to win permission to knock down the existing homes and “regenerate” the estate with less affordable housing. Continue reading
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As courts re-open, Britain’s renters must confront the power of landlords
There was a moment, just after the declaration of lockdown, with the immediate loss of jobs and hours, when it seemed that a rent strike might be inevitable. Many members of London Renters Union thought there might finally be a moment of unity between renters affected by the pandemic that could be leveraged into much… Continue reading
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Meet points announced – August 24: London-wide day of action against evictions!
Join the London-wide day of action against evictions on 24 August – we’ll be taking action outside courts across London on the day that eviction hearings restart. Continue reading
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Organising for economic justice ─ the eviction crisis in the time of COVID-19
First of all, I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all who have contributed to building our new Economic Justice & Health Group so far this year. This is such a critical area to be organising in right now. This month it has been fantastic to see our Economic Justice research group… Continue reading
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June 27 – #CantPayWontPay Day of Action
The government has announced a 2 month extension of the eviction ban – the first victory of the Can’t Pay Won’t Pay campaign. Research by the Resolution Foundation showed that hundreds of thousands of renters across London are in debt to their landlord. Unless the government cancels rent debt and makes the eviction ban permanent, renters will… Continue reading
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June 27 – Join the #CantPayWontPay Day of Action
This extension (to a ban on evictions) is the first victory of the Can’t Pay Won’t Pay campaign, but we have so much more to win. We still need the government to cancel rent debt and make the evictions ban permanent, so that all renters are safe. The government should end the benefits ban on migrants,… Continue reading
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Join a Getting Active in the London Renters Union online training!
The London Renters Union has just launched http://cantpaywontpay.uk/, our biggest collective action so far. Continue reading
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UK: Coronavirus rent crisis
Two months ago, we demanded a suspension of rents, a total ban on evictions throughout the pandemic and its aftermath, and that all those in need of shelter should be housed. Continue reading
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London Renters Union: Join our phone banking this weekend
We’re campaigning to pressure the government to suspend rent, waive rent debt and make the ban on evictions permanent. If you haven’t already, please sign our petition. More than 100 people came to our online members meeting on Tuesday to discuss ways we can escalate our campaign, including by withholding our rent. Thank you to everyone who filled… Continue reading
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Rebel Renter #3
Welcome to issue 3 of Rebel Renter, a newsletter chock full of updates about all of the organising we’re doing together in the London Renters Union. Continue reading
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Refurbishment Is the Dirty Word We Should Be Using, Just Look at the Achilles Street Estate
Imagine living on a council estate and being given a ballot on the proposed destruction of your home as part of a ‘regeneration’ plan. Imagine that the council makes all kinds of lavish promises regarding your future housing and security, but then refuses to back up these promises with anything resembling a legally-binding contract. This… Continue reading
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How Britain keeps people homeless
Almost all two-bedroom homes available for rent across England, Scotland and Wales are too expensive for families on housing benefit, extensive research by the Bureau has found. Our reporters collected the details of more than 62,000 rental listings and found that less than 6% were affordable when mapped against the local housing benefit rates, which have been… Continue reading
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Revealed: The thousands of public spaces sold by cash-strapped councils
In a major collaboration involving dozens of reporters around the country and a week of stories with Huff Post UK, the Bureau revealed the true scale of the local government funding crisis. It has become so dire that councils are being forced to sell thousands of public spaces, such as libraries, community centres and playgrounds -… Continue reading
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UK: Stop Revenge Evictions
Damp, dodgy wiring, or a broken boiler. Imagine asking your landlord to fix a problem that isn’t your fault. But instead of fixing it, they hand you an eviction notice instead. Last year 200,000 people were forced out of their homes in this way. [1] It’s called revenge eviction. And right now, it’s completely legal. Continue reading
The New Dark Age 