Squats and squatting / London housing

Not entirely relevant, but I like when this thread is active.
https://youtu.be/uk9eChLlv0E

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-housing-crisis-sadiq-khan-council-homes-b960327.html

This must be very prevalent and only gets exposed occasionally:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/shadwell-fire-survivors-tower-hamlets-council-investigation-b1074997.html

More on this.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/23/men-who-escaped-fire-in-crowded-london-flat-face-homelessness

Bed bugs and mattresses allegedly dragged in off the street.

It's obviously not the first report on such overcrowding. There were several some years ago, all in Newham, I think. I can't imagine that it's ever stopped or has any realistic prospect of stopping.

A superb article that explodes the myths around 'we have to build thousands of more homes', among other things:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/mar/19/end-of-landlords-surprisingly-simple-solution-to-uk-housing-crisis

one in every 21 adults in the UK is a landlord. We have four times as many landlords as teachers.

Thanks for sharing

yes thank you

I used to be a property guardian for year a long time ago. I wonder if it’s still a viable thing?

Great article, shame it’s getting so much flack from yimby supply/demand fundamentalist types on twitter.

It still happens, it's still overpriced and the 'tennants' don't get treated very nicely.

I've seen perfectly functional squats of nice people be decanted to be converted into multi-occupant guardian living that they charge close to market rate for tiny rooms and dont have much in the way of tenancy rights.

My guitar teacher was one of 40 tenants in a block of converted flats for 4 years under guardianship placements, only to be evicted apparently to accommodate homeless people in our borough.

Everyone concerned were vulnerable, still don’t know what happened to the 40 residents in Plaistow

High-profile squats:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/squatters-gordon-ramsay-pub-york-and-albany-community-cafe-b1151684.html

Squat party in Leicester Square? But of course.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/squatters-move-in-to-marco-pierre-whites-shuttered-leicester-square-restaurant-b1151834.html

That these things seem newsworthy is undoubtedly because it's much less common now to get these types of squats, and they obviously won't last very long.

Another one, another commercial building in Central London:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/squatters-20th-century-fox-building-soho-b1152093.html

Oh no they're potentially upsetting not one but TWO salma hayeks

1 Attachment

Get your eyes checked. One is Selma Hayek and one is Salma Hayek, clearly two different people.

The Leicester Square one obviously didn't last long, as expected:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/marco-pierre-white-restaurant-squatters-leicester-square-police-b1152111.html

As likewise expected, another quick eviction:

In a statement on Thursday a spokesperson for the group, which said it was the Anarchist Association London Branch, vowed they would leave within 24 hours.

The statement, which referred to Ramsay as “the foul-mouthed chef”, said: “This swanky building has been left empty for years, even though Camden has some of the worst levels of rough sleeping in the country.

“Some of these rough sleepers decided to take their right to housing into their own hands.”

It added: “If people are not allowed to survive, they will take action to do so. All evictions are violence. But that won’t stop us from squatting and we hope our actions will inspire others to take back control of their lives.”

[...]

Responding to the news in their statement on Thursday, the squatters added: “The fact that the chef was able to obtain the order that quickly shows that the legal system is designed for the rich. It has nothing to do with justice.

“Laws won’t help us, politicians won’t help us. They only serve the wealthy and powerful.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/squatters-gordon-ramsay-pub-london-york-and-albany-regents-park-evicted-b1152584.html

I’m struggling with an anarchist association having a London branch. But their points are moot.

Wouldn't an anarchist association have the most fun in a capital city?

Just seems quite… organised? I mean is there an AGM?

Have you ever read any anarchist literature? If you had, you'd realise that the idea that anarchists are anti-organisation is the most superficial cliché there is about anarchism. Most anarchists are essentially against rule by coercion and force. Organisation by consensus is, of course, fine.

Interesting and confusing:

Sources at the scene said a team will remain inside the premises “24/7”.

This sounds as if there would be a security firm, but later a squatter is quoted as saying:

“We’ve made a deal,” he told reporters, adding: “With the owner, not Ramsay.”

He said: “We’re still here, and we’re going to carry on staying here. We’re going to be security for him.”

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/gordon-ramsay-london-pub-york-albany-squatters-regents-park-b1152987.html

Then there's a denial by the owner (partially-quoted in the above article, but unclear to what it refers there):

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/gordon-ramsay-london-albany-york-high-court-b1152816.html

So, it must be a security firm, after all. I don't suppose they'll be there indefinitely, but someone must be really jittery.

This is probably a good thing, perhaps a step towards proper rent regulation, which I think the Government are still refusing to envisage:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/rent-control-homes-london-sadiq-khan-key-workers-housing-mayor-b1195962.html