Whose Homes? Our Homes!

Whose streets? Our streets!

Whose homes? Our homes!

Thousands of angry tenants, housing workers, squatters, travellers, private renters, students and political activists were joined by MPs and councillors as we marched through London on a sunny March Sunday to protest the Tories’ plans to destroy public housing.

Kill the Bill! Kill the Housing Bill!

And a surprise re-entry into the top of the demo playlist, that ’40s anthem,

Maybe It’s Because I’m a Londoner!

Not surprisingly the national demo organised by the Kill the Housing Bill campaign was a tad London-centric – but then it is homes in London which are most threatened if the Tories get their way in hollowing out the city by forcing the working class out of the centre. One of the challenges for the campaign must be to build outside the capital. This Bill will affect everyone, everywhere.

The Bill is still progressing through the Lords, and crucial votes will take place soon. And there are signs that, as part of their current ‘let’s-not-scare-the-voters-too-much’ EU Remain strategy, the Tories are watering down some of the proposals such as the Pay to Stay limits and Housing Benefit caps which are leading to hostel and sheltered housing closures.

In London the mayoral election on 5 May is crucial with housing such a hot topic. A Labour Mayor with planning and building powers determined to stem the gentrification of our great working class districts can make a massive difference. Will Sadiq? I don’t know. But Labour’s Manifesto opposes the Bill and pledges “that estate regeneration only takes place where there is resident support … and that demolition is only permitted where it does not result in a loss of social housing.” The trouble is these words ring hollow to tenants in London’s Labour boroughs fighting to save their homes from demolition. The Labour leadership needs to step in and heal the rifts which have built up between councillors and residents and their supporters if we are to unite to fight the Bill.

Calls are going out from tenants’ groups that councillors should refuse to implement the Bill. Because the Bill is such a compendium of measures, there is a lot of scope for councils to investigate what they can and can’t do and share information and legal advice. As a start they can pledge not to evict anyone who refuses to Pay to Stay. Many of the measures are ‘voluntary’ for housing association landlords which have become increasingly corporate bodies in recent years and lack any real democratic or accountable ways for tenants’ voices to be heard. In my book, this means we just need to shout louder! Councillors can help us do that by bringing together council and housing association tenants.

It will be up to us to defend our homes. The march was just the beginning. Tenants are getting organised and we will Kill the Housing Bill!