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For the Right to Housing and to the City!

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For the Right to Housing and to the City! _01 WHO WE ARE? For the The European Action Coalition for the Right to Housing and to the City is a platform for the convergence of move- ments struggling across Europe. After having campaig- ned for years, we (groups and social movements made up of tenants, slum/self-built neighborhoods dwellers, right to squatters, inhabitants of inadequate housing, victims of eviction, those affected by indebtedness, professionals and researchers) felt the need to gather in order to stren- gthen this fight, so that we can take common positions housing and common action on housing issues. In 2013 groups had meetings in Essen, Athens and Pa- ris to analyse the European context, and agreed on the need for a platform for the defence of the right to hou- and to sing and to the city, opposing the advance of neoliberal capitalism in all aspects of our lives, the destruction and commodification of public and social housing, the dere- gulation of the market, the privatization of space and the city! services, the lack of public investment, the financializa- tion of the systems of provision, and the real estate spe- culation going on in all the cities of Europe. Based on a view of housing as a commodity and reinforced by aus- terity, these policies impoverish populations, making access to decent housing more difficult and increasing house prices, rents, evictions, and homelessness. In this way the social segregation of our cities is sustained and deepened. Our values demand the political, economic and social changes that could enable the realisation of decent housing for all. We also require the right to participate in effective decision-making on the spaces and resources of our cities, the commons that belong to all of us. We want environmental sustainability and the possibility for inhabitants’ connection with the countryside. We oppose all forms of oppression, and we see housing as an intersectional issue that affects people differently, according for example to their migration status or gender. We are fighting for real political, economic, social, envi- ronmental and urban democracy. The Coalition brings together all movements and people that identify with its principles and objectives and agree to its structures. The coalition is an anti-hierarchical, democratic and plu- live and organize together. We can think of Mutual Aid level, to visualise any potential links between struggles. The Bond Precaire Woonvormen (The Union of the Pre- ralistic platform, independent of any political party or re- as doing things with people, not for them, and creating Recently people from a house project in Berlin which cariously Housed) in the Netherlands have been organi- ligious belief. communities of support. had been bought by an Austrian company went to do a sing around them. Through this convergence we intend to strengthen our Now more than ever, at a time when social rights are successful action in Vienna. We discussed whether the targets should be the com- local struggles, collectivising different resources and attacked all over Europe and when states and capi- There was a proposal to create a solidarity network to pany or the owners. Though the owners have the power tools across the continent. In sharing knowledge, analy- tal intensify their war against and among the poor, we stop firms enjoying tax havens. through the resources, i.e. the buildings, targeting a sis and strategies, we are building the relations between should educate ourselves about new ways of organizing The workshop on financialization continued by splitting company to make it toxic, and then making the ethical grassroots organisations, and so creating the conditions our resistance. One alternate way of carrying our politi- into small groups that discussed different aspects and argument to the municipalities or other owners might for international solidarity. We are also building our ca- cal struggle starts from the reorganization of our lives institutions of financial speculation, and ways to orga- strengthen our negotiating position. nize against them. pacity for common action to raise the visibility of the by creating self-sustained spaces where people live and We discussed a new tactic in the UK, whereby people current housing disaster and to target its causes. Fina- do political work together, autonomous from the market Group 1 || MIPIM set up a non-profit company to replace Camelot, (which lly, we want to support the development of alternative and the state. MIPIM is the world’s largest property fair, where states costs the building owner less, but doesn’t charge rent proposals, in the knowledge that this goes hand in hand ** As Gonzalo, a comrade from the Cantiere social cen- and municipalities gather with developers, investors, from the licensees as it doesn’t make a profit). It doesn’t with building the power to realise them. tre in San Siro put it: and banks to sell land and housing. It happens in Can- deal with the insecurity, but it is free! WHAT IS THIS? “We need to think of mutual aid at different levels. One nes, London and Hong Kong every year, and we have be- Since the meeting, a crew in London have squatted Ca- level is the institutions of the commons. People are gun to target it as a strong symbol of how cities are wor- melot’s old HQ! They didn’t put property guardians into This is the first of our 6-monthly bulletins. Through alone, trapped in work and alienation, so these insti- king for speculation and not the population. There was them we want to spread information about the housing it somehow! At the time of writing the Camesquat is cu- tutions/spaces are needed to meet other people. Spa- an idea to prepare a bigger action in 2 or 3 years time, rrently holding out against a 3-day siege by security and struggles happening across the continent, reflect on ces are a tool for the struggle. Basic needs have to be finding out about the development projects, and connec- how we are fighting them, and create space for analysis police, and is denouncing Camelot’s role in denying te- answered (food, shelter) but how do we continue poli- ting up the struggles. We could use the time to build a nants’ rights and evicting people. and discussion between housing groups. We hope this ticizing after the satisfaction of these needs? At SMS, media strategy, get funding, make strong alliances with We set up a new list, [email protected], to start can increase the visibility of housing struggles, so plea- people who ask for help are asked ‘what can you give other movements, and then take a lot of people to Can- to share information. We think a lot of tenants’ rights will se pass or send it around! If you have anything to con- to the community?’. Most people feel that they are nes. Can we also do decentralised action, to pressurise be eroded towards this model over the next few years, tribute, or other thoughts, send to [email protected]. useless because society makes them feel this way, the mayors and build awareness locally? We heard about so we are hopeful to start organising ahead of the curve! It took a while to produce this, so let us know if you’d inferior, useless. From there starts a process of offe- a waterborne attack on another conference once! Email the list to be added. like to help! We are mostly not writing in our native lan- ring and creating, for example, teaching languages Ideally we could have meetings of the Coalition when guage, so bear with us. or sports – knowledge is a resource. Also, keeping a we do an action, but this needs a local organisation to Group 3 || BLACKSTONE space open, volunteering at shifts, at the free market host, and there isn’t one in Cannes. Blackstone is the world’s biggest private equity com- CONTENTS for instance (the free shop at SMS), giving back to the There was a proposal to focus on London because there pany, and it operates in countries with high public debt. community - these projects remain beyond having is organisation there - London has since agreed to tar- It is buying a lot of toxic loans in the USA and Catalonia What does the European Coalition do?, met basic needs (for example housing). This is the get MIPIM UK, which is 19-21 Oct 2016! This will not be among other places. They are raising social rents to evict recent discussions and agreements 01 level on the ground, and it’s very important because a full coalition action. People want to make infographics, people, and trying to get around new Catalan legislation cities are trying to destroy neighborhoods by destro- and there is the platform to create MIPIMLeaks if we feel by offering tenants money to leave. Invitation to next coalition meeting in ying community centres, which makes it difficult to we could get the content, which would be a bit of work. The international campaign against them has focused 09 start struggles.” Dublin, November This would be to get information out about what they on coordinated actions, first in Spain and the USA, and From the outlined philosophy and practice of mutual aid, are doing. later spreading to London and Tokyo. They don’t want the discussion mostly centred around two topics: Current Struggles 09 Group 2 || CAMELOT a name for themselves, so exposing them and other ×The risk that such mutual aid spaces play the neoliberal Camelot, Ad Hoc, Ambika, and other smaller compa- banks/companies making money like this can be effec- game, in offering direct services and support while Reflective pieces nies place people in ex-commercial spaces on licences tive.
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