Tuesday, September 29, 2015,
01:18
People from all European countries are
experiencing the deterioration and violation of their right to housing and the
city, coupled with an increase in prices, debt and the growing threat of
eviction. The European Union is commodifying
public housing and encouraging speculation and financialisation. The decimation
of public policies safeguarding the right to housing is contributing to the
impoverishment of families and the rise of inequality in our cities. With more
than 11 million empty homes people and a similar number of homeless
people – European citizens, migrants and refugees included – evictions are
constantly on the rise.
The European Action Coalition for the
Right to Housing and to the City is composed of tenants’ movements, those in
inadequate housing, victims of eviction, trade unionists, those affected by
debt, slum and self-built neighborhood dwellers, squatters, campaigners and
researchers. We are organizing and struggling all over Europe against this
process of privatization and exclusion, and we converge in analysis and action
by saying: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
Solutions to this huge social problem
exist, and local and national governments as well as the European Union, have
the duty to act with immediate and adequate policies: first, a European
directive for a general moratorium on evictions; then massive investment for
public / social housing to meet the needs of the population. Further measures
should include heavily taxing speculation in empty houses and requisitioning
these buildings for use as social/ public housing; introducing rent control to
make housing affordable to those in the private sectors as well as in the
public, and committing to the housing of asylum seekers and refugees.Meanwhile
we will continue to reclaim in a self-managed way spaces abandoned and emptied
by capital, and promote spaces in the city where community life is based on
mutual aid and solidarity.
However, these solutions call into
question the very existence of the real estate speculators who profit by
privatising and selling off whole chunks of the city. As diverse local
movements we have many struggles including both public and private targets.
The European Action Coalition for the
Right to Housing and to the City is calling for decentralised and coordinated
action in for 2 weeks from October 10th, in order to denounce those responsible
for the evictions of inhabitants from their housing in all our countries,
shouting together: No People without Homes, No Homes without People!
Actions are already being planned in
Italy, Hungary, UK, Poland, France, Greece, and other countries. We are
pleased that at the same time the World Zero Evictions Campaign is networking
many actions internationally.
Get in contact with housing@riseup.net to
find out more or to get involved.