After months of hard work, ACORN Brighton scored a major win when they secured  a city-council backed crackdown on corrupt and negligent landlords, bringing relief to tenants across the city now, and for years to come! ACORN Cambridge and ACORN London teamed up to march directly on the offices of Places for People, who has been the source of over six years of serious housing issues and tenant suffering. This is direct action at work!

ACORN UK hosted their national UK conference in Leeds, with more than 200 ACORN delegates from more than 30 attendants across the UK in attendance! Members celebrated wins, including a recent action where four hundred members had successfully beaten back TSB bank requirements for mandatory rent increases, and ACORN UK’s ten year anniversary of collective organizing! Of  course, the actions continued, with ACORN Bristol advocating for a member to be able to stay in their home after the city council rejected their right of succession.  The good work continues!

ACORN Brighton had a massive win with their successful ‘Save Our Toilets’ campaign, which reopened over 18 toilets in a public park. ACORN Oxford achieved a big first victory in their campaign for better and more equitable bussing in their city, mirroring the important transit work ACORN is doing in Cambridge.

ACORN Manchester capitalized on their major “Boot the Bailiffs” win by using it to spread the word about the power of organizing with  successful organizing campaign. ACORN Leeds continued their fight against Gloriavd HealthCare on behalf of immigrant workers.

Tenants Daisy and Ramona found themselves in a challenging situation when their landlord imposed a massive 12% rent increase, exceeding the 5% maximum specified in their contract. Refusing to accept this unjust hike, they confronted the landlord and were shocked to receive a Section 21 “no-fault” eviction notice in response.

In a powerful display of community support and activism, ACORN Birmingham successfully prevented the eviction of a struggling mother and her ten-year-old daughter in Quinton. The family had faced the threat of eviction due to rent arrears accumulated after a significant rent hike last April.

ACORN Bristol‘s ‘Ban the Bids’ campaign wins as big city letting agent pledges not to engage in ‘bidding wars.’

As reported last month, ACORN’s Bristol branch has been fighting against the practise of ‘bidding wars,’ where landlords and letting agents encourage would be renters to bid against each other over the advertised price. 

Earlier this week, ACORN Coventry successfully resisted the eviction of our member Mandy and her family.

Their landlord, who owns over 40 properties in Coventry, issued a section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction notice so he can sell up.

Mandy repeatedly asked the landlord to delay the eviction until they could find a new home to rent or the council could provide them one. However, instead he refused to negotiate and chose to try and throw them out of their home, putting them at risk of homelessness.

At the outset of the now-ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, over a dozen chapters, branches, and affiliate organizations of ACORN International issued a global call for the social protection of low-income families and individuals.

In Leeds, ACORN welcomed the newest local group, with the launch of ACORN Armley local group.

Also in Leeds, there were many trainings, stalls, and door knocking sessions through April 2022. Additionally, members spoke at a Social Housing Action Campaign rally, Communication Workers Union conference, and National Education Union conference.