Ottawa ACORN fighting for tenants in the city since 2006

My name is Max Brazier, a member of Ottawa ACORN. I joined ACORN to fight for affordable and livable housing, and help get more students and young people involved in these campaigns. Since joining I’ve been an active part of the Housing Justice Priorities launch, and it’s been inspiring to see so many people come together.

Like so many of us at the moment, residents of Lockleaze in Bristol are struggling with the cost of living, physical and mental health, and lack of youth services locally – areas in which sport and leisure can have a positive impact.

Back in May, ACORN’s Lockleaze group met with Lockleaze Sports Centre to discuss the services provided, and how the charity should have more affordable offers for local people. 

On May 5th, nearly 70 residents of the middle Durance Valley territory in Alpes Haute Provence gathered in Oraison to officially establish the eco-union “Riverains Ensemble Durance.”

Dona Sayi, a resident of Les Mées, fears for her and her family’s health: “I moved to Dabisse in 2019, and my house is just a few meters away from apple trees. I am concerned about the potential impact of intensive pesticide spraying on my health and, most importantly, on the health of my two children.”

ACORN Cardiff asked Emma James at CPS Homes to cease her claim on £498 of a tenant’s deposit after forcing them out with a rent increase. It was a beautiful day to stand up for our friend, neighbour and fellow member Rebecca.

All of our solidarity to the powerful, inspiring and strong feminist warriors that build our movements and resistance today. Happy International women’s day!

As a union, we fight for decent, affordable, and secure housing. And that’s only the starting point. We want our homes to be a space in which to lead a dignified life free from oppression. However, our homes are not protected from the challenges of everyday life –  capitalism, racism, and patriarchy still overwhelmingly impact those of us who are not men and this is intimately tied up with our housing struggles. Rather than being a space of security and stability, our homes are tainted by these structures. 

The women leaders of the local committees from our affiliate OnEstEnsemble in Cameroon have successfully participated in a public speaking training. The purpose of this training was to strengthen the skills and confidence of our members in their participation in negotiations, conferences, and meetings. We hope that this training will assist the members of Onestensemble and enable them to shine in future public presentations!

‘Why does CATU not allow landlords to join? Isn’t it more difficult having that division and being separated, as opposed to working together?’ asked an attendee at a CATU presentation in Brussels the last weekend of November. The three of us had prepared for exploring the unions history and exchanging experiences and challenges – I don’t think we were ready to explain CATU’s understanding of class politics, power dynamics and capitalism within the last 10 minutes of the lecture. That’s another hour long session. 

ACORN India representatives spoke at a convention in New Delhi on Contemporary Popular Movements in India. In Dharavi, ACORN India hosted a Women’s Group Discussion Meeting among waste collectors, homemakers, and small unit workers. They also conducted a free Food Safety Training & Certification (FOSTAC) training session in Noida for street food vendors.

Every year, hundreds of Muslim women face discrimination in higher education and are excluded and deprived of training. From the recognition of this injustice and the desire to fight against it, Libawat was born, the union of Muslim women in Chalon-sur-Saône launched in September 2022.