Members in Granton have won a 6 month battle against their housing association, C-urb Lettings, and won major repairs in their blocks! Replacement of incorrectly installed windows, replacement of a faulty parking shutter that had been broken for three years, stronger locks on their communal doors for increased safety, and redecoration of communal areas in the building.  Since July the union of residents living in Hesperus Crossway have put a number of demands to C~Urb Lettings. Following the protest on November 14, C~Urb Lettings agreed to speak to the residents' union to negotiate on some of the demands at a meeting later in the day. A spokesperson for Living Rent said after the meeting: "Union members met with C~urb directors today and were still unable to get timelines on repairs, and no commitments to increased security. After years with no repairs to the shutters, tenants were told by C~urb that they're expected to be fixed in 6-7 weeks, but that the housing association still couldn't give a solid date for completion. Members went to action at C-urb's offices, and after two negotiations, the works have been carried out! Direct action and union pressure works. Now, these members are building a new branch of the union in their neighbourhood, and tackling issues that their community is facing. Read about it in the news here: https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/fed-up-edinburgh-tenants-form-30374493  

On Saturday 6th July, over 50 members across our Living Rent Southside branches made their way to Martin & Co’s offices to demand a halt to the proposed eviction of two of our members and their 14 year old child. Continue reading

Scrap student flats, Leith deserves better! On the 10th of May, Living Rent Leith hosted a public meeting on the PBSA (Purpose Built Student Accommodation) development at Dalton Scrapyard in Duncan Place Community Hub with councilors, MSPs and local participating.  Councilors Susan Rae, Katrina Faccenda, and Jack Caldwell attended as did local MSP Ben Macpherson. During the event we held open discussions regarding the Dalton Scrapyard development, the experiences of students renting in PBSA, the need for social housing and the effects PBSA has on local infrastructure and services. The townhall public meeting was an important milestone in the campaigning for a better alternative than PBSA on the Dalton site. The event was not only an opportunity to hold politicians accountable, but also to encourage an environment where the local community has a say in its own development. The voice of the people should never be ignored, especially on matters directly affecting them!The event ended with all four elected officials backing our demands which were; Opposing the development of PBSA on Dalton Scrapyard A cap on the number of PBSAs built in Leith. A mandatory contribution to infrastructure from developers relative to the size of the development. A quota of 35% social housing quota for every development.   The public meeting was well attended, particular with non-members which was especially important as it meant that they had the opportunity to speak up on issues that matter to them. Together, we can put the power back into the hands of our communities and fight for a better Leith!