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RADICAL NEWS the Newsletter of the Radical Housing Network

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RADICAL NEWS the Newsletter of the Radical Housing Network December 2017 RADICAL NEWS The newsletter of the Radical Housing Network Issue #1 www.radicalhousingnetwork.org December 2017 A TIME TO UNITE! Housing struggles across the UK exist, now, in the shadow of Grenfell Tower and the 71 people now known to have died on the 14th of June. The event revealed the gross injustices of a housing system that, far from broken, is operating precisely as intended. The housing question (and the social housing question in particular) now occupy a space at the forefront of public debate. In a speech in September, Sajid Javid proclaimed his ambition to “return to a time...when so- Join the silent walk to Grenfell Tower on December 14th cial housing was valued”, as “something we could all be proud of”. But figures released last month show the crisis and try to join those fighting for housing justice lowest levels of social house building ever in 2017, together - across tenure and locality - to break the di- which together with decades of crippling housing poli- vide and rule tactics of the powerful. cies reveal the continued hypocrisy of those in power. Our members are diverse - students organising rent Across the UK, whether social or private tenants, strikes, estate residents campaigning against the homeless, squatters or otherwise, residents increas- demolition of their homes and communities, boaters ingly face harassment, displacement and ever more and travelers fighting to have access to basic ameni- precarious, insecure and unsafe housing conditions. ties, housing co-ops working to keep their land - and Now is the time to unite, to fight back and demand a many, many more. fair and just housing system for all. This newsletter is intended to provide a space for The Radical Housing Network believes everyone de- these voices, to share knowledge and experience serves a decent home - and we fight all forms of hous- from housing struggles across the UK and beyond; to ing discrimination that prevent people’s access to one. build the capacity of communities to fight back; and We promote solidarity and mutual support amongst to imagine radical new alternatives for how we want and beyond our members, share resources, skills and to live. ideas, develop alternatives to the housing market, build grassroots opposition in the face of the housing Watch this space... Inside Land Justice Network Stop HDV ‘Right to return’ Frestonia and me · · · · The new network demanding Updates from Haringey and Myth-busting a policy touted by A personal account from the the democratisation of land the largest attempted public developers and councils alike independent republic in west rights land sell-off in UK history London RADICAL NEWS - Issue 1 December 2017 Actions, Meetings, Call-outs Updates from the network Stop HDV The battle to stop the biggest ever public land sell-off gathers pace In July 2017 Haringey Council’s Cab- inet agreed to create a private Joint Monthly meetings host discussion on the risks of Venture company, the Haringey cold - and fire - from unsafe or inadequate insu- Development Vehicle (HDV) jointly lation, and related issues eg district or communal Our monthly meetings are open to all and held with private development company every second Monday of the month. heating, removal of cladding, and sprinklers in tow- Lendlease The aim is to hand over er blocks. With input from architects and residents. Next meeting December 11th 17 housing estates (including large Next meeting December 7th For information, contact estates Northumberland Park and Please get in touch at fuelpovertyaction@gmail. [email protected] Broadwater Farm), Schools, Health com for the venue (still to be confirmed). Facilities, Library, and 500 commer- cial properties to the HDV. The Coun- cil and Lend Lease will each own and control 50% of the company. The new development will be primarily private housing for sale, with some (un)”Af- Help Us Build the London Housing fordable Housing” and fewer units of social housing equivalent to council Struggles Archive housing than currently exist. StopHDV protesters at the Supreme Court, October 2017 A broad based campaign against the HDV has formed. • the public sector equality duty of the Equality ● Do you want to help build a housing struggles Called StopHDV it has united tenants, both Constit- Act 2010 has not been adequately addressed; and, uency Labour Parties, a third of Labour Councilors, archive? • the decision to establish the HDV was not taken Momentum, the Liberal Democrats, Trade Unions, the to full Council. ● Do you hold any materials from a housing cam- Green Party, housing campaigns and Resident and paign? Leaseholder organisations against the scheme. Both We are awaiting the court’s decision, but this may not local MPs (Catherine West and David Lammy) have be until the new year. There are plans to appeal if we ● Are you interested in learning how to catalogue expressed concerns. lose. If we win the Council will have to consult and and digitise your material? take actions to correct its faults. In either case the im- The campaign is concentrating on 3 strands. plementation of the HDV has been delayed, and buys Then get in touch! Firstly building public awareness, and organised op- us time to build the campaign to stop it. position among the public and on the threatened es- In the meantime the Haringey Labour Parties are se- tates, through public meetings, demonstrations, leaf- lecting candidates for the Council elections in May We have decided to try and document both the unprecedented scale of attacks on leting and information meetings for tenants on estates. 2018. At time of writing, the Council Leader Claire Ko- social and affordable housing in London over the last years and the amazing resis- There has been a focus on Northumberland Park, the ber had been reselected at a stacked meeting, which tance people have been showing. first threatened council estate. A self-organising resi- the local party has referred to the national Labour dents group Northumberland Park Decides is growing It is fundamental to preserve the history of these campaigns so that we can inform Party for investigation. But in some other wards can- support for a tenants’ ballot on the proposals. and inspire more resistance. didates who oppose the HDV have displaced sitting In October the Campaign took the Council to court for councilors who support the HDV, including the Chief MayDay Rooms is an archive focused on radical politics and activism. Visit www.maydayrooms. a Judicial Review of the decision to create the HDV. Whip. The process continues until early December, org to have a look at our collections and activities. As an archive we are advocates of document- The campaign’s lawyers argued The Council was at and there is a real possibility that the candidates se- ing struggles and preserving their histories against official ones, and as aids to radicals in present fault because: lected will have a majority determined to stop the HDV after May’s elections. social antagonisms. As a non-hierarchical workers collective we believe in practicing all these • in setting up the HDV the Council is acting for a together alongside those participating in the struggles commercial purpose; This is a critical campaign against social cleansing in London, and it is one that we can win. For more infor- If you would like to get involved in one way or another, email us at • the HDV and the manner of its development was mation see the campaign website www.stophdv.com [email protected] not consulted before the July 2017 Cabinet deci- sion; by Doug Thorpe stophdv.com 2 3 RADICAL NEWS - Issue 1 December 2017 Notting Hill Housing Genesis Merger Land Justice Network Class war spreads to housing associations as new merger threatens Get involved in pushing for equitable and democratic land rights Notting Hill residents In 2016 the RHN helped to organise the Land for What conference. Attended by Campaigners: help us stop over 200 people, the message was that the rot! The hidden class war land affects all our struggles, whether that has seen thousands of for- it be for a decent home for all, to save mer council homes destroyed community and cultural spaces, or for and people made homeless in more green and open spaces for food the name of ‘regeneration’ is growing and recreation. To harness spreading to housing associa- the enthusiasm for land rights we have tions. We need your help. joined with other organisations such as Just Space and the Community Food Few know about the threat to Growers Network to set up a new net- social housing posed by the work that will focus on challenging the plotting of ideologues from the fact that the vast majority of the popu- far-right. Still less understood lation has limited access to and control that it’s the very people who over land. should cherish the social hous- ing movement - the heads of The network is based on a ‘Common Housing Associations – who Ground’ statement. All those affiliated Land For What conference, 2016 to the network support this statement through a diver- increase in the value of land should be captured by so- have been scheming to abolish NO TO THE MERGERERS! sity of perspectives and tactics. ciety whilst striving for a system with lower and more the word ‘social’ from the term social housing. make all her properties ‘affordable’, driving her unde- stable land values. sirable low-income or elderly tenants out. Common Ground: Our aspirations: Effectively hijacking a charitable movement, they 4 – Proactive Community-centered Planning seek to convert valuable homes into cash. This ugly ListenNHH & Genesis residents have united to act 1 – Distributed Ownership and Control A good planning system should be based on the par- process is symbolized by two organisations: Notting against the mega merger, which raises many issues, Although a majority of us have a small stake in the 5% ticipation of everyone in the decisions that affect their Hill Housing and Genesis Housing.
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