Now We Have Your Attention
James Butler is joined by Jack Shenker to explore the new politics: from grassroots trade unionism to migrant solidarity, and the gradual transformation of the Labour Party.
Tag: homelessness
Homelessness Activists Occupy Tunnel, After MPs Ask for Gate to Stop Rough Sleepers
Over 320,000 people are homeless in Britain - up 169% since the Conservatives came to power. Yet 'hostile architecture' that keeps rough sleepers out of public spaces is on the rise. As the weather turns cold, a gate has just been installed in a Westminster underpass to lock homeless people out at night - allegedly after MPs complained about having to walk past them.
Rough Sleeping Is at Record Levels, so Why Don’t People Care?
The Tories want people to believe homelessness is complex and rough sleepers are to blame for their situation. The truth is they have been let down by a system that could easily be changed if there was the political will to do so.
Asylum Seeker Evictions Will Cause ‘crisis on the streets of Glasgow’, Charities Warn
A housing provider has announced it will resume a controversial policy to evict hundreds of asylum seekers in Glasgow, in a move charities say will leave scores of vulnerable people street homeless. Serco, which until recently held the government contract to house asylum seekers in the Scottish city, first announced plans to evict people denied […]
‘They should be chased out of town’: How a South Coast Council Is Failing Homeless People
The number of people sleeping rough in Bognor Regis is rising. But instead of working to protect vulnerable people, local councillors seem to view homeless people as detrimental to the look of the town. In addition to moving rough sleepers off the high street and confiscating their belongings, the local authority is now about to cut £4m of funding to homelessness services.
6 Reasons We Need to #EndSection21
Private tenants used to be able to stay in their homes for as long as they were paying the rent. But since the introduction of section 21 under the 1988 Housing Act, landlords have had the power to evict tenants with just two months’ notice without giving them a reason. Here are six reasons section 21 needs to be abolished.
These Five Victories in the Fight for Migrants’ Rights Show We Can Win
The government backtracked on its demand that schools collect data on pupils’ nationality and country of birth this month, presenting a sudden and startling victory to campaigners opposing the hostile environment. Here are five other key wins in the fight for migrants’ rights in Britain.
The Sofia Solidarity Centre Squat Exposed a Housing Crisis Past Breaking Point
Opened on Great Portland Street as London temperatures dropped to minus ten, the Sofia Solidarity Centre squat housed close to two hundred rough sleepers by the time it was evicted. In addition to providing shelter to some of the city's most vulnerable people, the Centre served as a vigorous embodiment of the housing crisis and showed just how easy it could be to get people off the streets.
‘Everyone I Know Is Going to Fight Like Hell’: Demoviction, Gentrification and Homelessness in Vancouver
In spite of protests and wide public opposition, plans for the re-zoning of Vancouver's Metrotown are going ahead. Alice Saunders speaks to some of the residents and activists fighting demoviction, gentrification and homelessness in the city.
Homeless Families and Social Cleansing: How Local Councils Are Forcing Vulnerable Households Out of London
Exclusive: London Councils are ending their homeless duty to vulnerable families by forcing them to accept private rented tenancies hundreds of miles away, outside the capital, FOI's by Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth reveal.
Can Devolution Solve Greater Manchester’s Housing Crisis?
The housing crisis is no longer just a London issue. Its effects are being felt across the UK, including in Greater Manchester. There, in the context of the devolution of a wide package of powers to local government and the upcoming mayoral election, Greater Manchester Housing Action (GMHA) are organising around the issues of housing and homelessness.
Homelessness Charities and Local Councils are Helping Immigration Teams Deport EU Rough Sleepers
Homelessness charities are sharing information with the Home Office and local councils are operating 'joint visits' with immigration enforcement teams in a collaborative effort to deport more European rough sleepers, a report has found. Here's what you need to know about this new racist attack on vulnerable migrants and the fight back against it.
5 Reasons We Are Occupying Empty Buildings
As winter begins to bite, the thought of Christmas around the corner will be of little consolation to victims of the housing crisis. In Manchester, housing activists and homeless people are taking the initiative to provide safety and services, raising criticisms of the council's shortcomings in the process.
London Housing Crisis: Squatting Becomes More Precarious, While Guardianships Boom
As more people struggle to keep up with rising rents, squatting continues to be criminalised while London councils are turning towards the promotion of insecure property guardianships.
6 Reasons to Support Your Local Squats
Negative changes in attitudes and the law combined with the gentrification of inner-city areas mean squatting is becoming much harder - precisely at a time when immediate housing is so desperately needed.
Modern Homelessness: Privatisation, Policing and Public Toilets
Sunday Long Read: Since 2010 homelessness has soared in London. What does privatisation feel like for those forced to sleep rough?
7 Tips for Getting Organised in Your Community
In this bumper instalment, Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth activists give their top tips for organising and winning in your community.
7 Ways the Localism Act is Shafting the Homeless and Precariously-Housed
Heard of the Localism Act 2011? Nor have most people, but this seemingly-subtle piece of legislation is having devastating effects on homeless and precariously-housed people as well as social housing more broadly. These effects are only set to be exacerbated, requiring action before we're fire-fighting nationwide social cleansing.