Living Rent Glasgow hosted a “Wheel of Misfortune” action, attended by over 100 people, to expose to Glasgow City Council some of serious impacts of complete lack of social housing and the crisis of affordability. Living Rent is rallying for 25% of all new builds in the city to be social homes. When we fight together, we win!

Living Rent Glasgow rallied at the offices of Sanctuary House, demanding the clogged gutters get cleaned. Even though these overflowing gutters are a major source of mold in the building, Sanctuary House refused to listen, but Living Rent is refusing to back down. When we fight together, we win!

Living Rent Glasgow is campaigning the Glasgow City Council to implement NPF4, which would see developers having to commit to a minimum of 25% genuinely affordable housing in their new builds. As history tells us, community resistance and direct action are essential for winning our demands.

We want social housing, not luxury flats!

Living Rent had several wins for their members in April, including for new Living Rent Castlemilk members Hiwa and Kharman, who have spent two years in a substandard apartment, including no boiler, a collapsed ceiling, black mould, and a landlord unwilling to address any of it. Living Rent sprang into action, and immediately got the boiler fixed, and are pressuring the landlord to fix the ceiling and address the mould. When we stand together, we win!

Living Rent Glasgow organized to protect the housing of asylum-seekers in Scotland, who have been the target of wide-spread unjust evictions with nowhere else to go. They have successfully resisted these evictions, and their power is growing!

Living Rent Glasgow had a major victory when they successfully resisted an unjust eviction for a family who needed wheelchair access. When the city council issued an eviction notice, the family feared moving into a hotel or the streets. Living Rent sprang into action, and in partnership with the ASH Project, put pressure on the city council until the family was allowed to stay. When we stand together, we win!

FIVE THOUSAND people in temporary accommodation!

ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED council properties lying empty in Edinburgh.

SIX HUNDRED of these vacant properties are concentrated within the Lochend/Craigentinny/Restalrig community itself.

We recognise the urgency and legitimacy of climate change, and the importance of human action and systemic change in building a sustainable future. As a union, we commit to fight for the provision of high quality, green and affordable housing for all and to fight for climate justice across our campaigns. 

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. 

Living Rent, ACORN International’s branch in Scotland, has been hard at work recently defending members against landlords, protesting forced evictions, and speaking out against injustices in their local communities.

Here’s what they’ve been up to lately:

EVICTIONS

Living Rent continues their ongoing campaign against evictions, with members being featured in the media in their fight against unfair or forced evictions.

Living Rent: Croftamie member Marjorie was threatened with eviction for not “having a durable connection to the area”, also known as: xenophobia

Evictions have been widespread in Scotland, including areas such as North Lanarkshire, Govanhill, Edinburgh, and Pollokshields. Tenants have been threatened and intimidated by landlords, and have also been subjected to inhospitable living conditions, including intense mold.

Living Rent’s response has been to file for an extension on the eviction ban, and group support to protect individual members.

ELECTIONS

Scotland recently held elections for the next Government, and Living Rent worked to raise awareness among voters to boost their familiarity on candidate and party policies on relevant issues to each Living Rent branch, such as the developing housing crisis, arrears, rising rents, and climate change.

Check out the link to find out more, get involved, and take action with Living Rent.