Report your rent hike!
As our bills climb beyond what many of us can afford. Landlords are raising rents, greedily profiting off our basic need for a roof over our heads.
All across Scotland, landlords are hiking up rents. A report by Citylets found that rents across Scotland rose by 8.5% in the last year to average £896 a month; whilst in Edinburgh rents rose by 14.2% to average £1214 and in Glasgow rents rose by 16% to average £972 per month.
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Support Our Communities in Sighthill/ Gorgie- Object to Student Developments
Members in the Gorgie Dalry branch have made a video around the impact of purpose-built student blocks in our local area and to ask council candidates to support our communities.
Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) is taking over Edinburgh. Not only is it unaffordable for the majority of students, but it takes up space we could use for actually affordable housing in our communities. This council election we are asking candidates in Sighthill/Gorgie to pledge to no more PBSA in our communities.
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Shawlands Arcade Development: whose interests does it serve?
The proposed development of Shawlands Arcade represents one of the biggest changes to the area in recent years.
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Gorgie/Dalry Statement on COP26
On Saturday 6 November, Gorgie-Dalry branch members of Living Rent participated in the COP26 Global Day of Action protests alongside other members of Living Rent as well as members from ACORN and London Renters’ Union, forming the Housing Bloc. We marched to assert that housing justice is climate justice, and, alongside tens of dozens of trade unions, community groups, and civic and political organisations, to demand that people and the planet be put before the demands of profit in the face of the climate emergency.
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Living Rent's solidarity statement with the GMB striking workers
Living Rent and the GMB cleansing workers are standing together to demand greater investment in Glasgow’s cleansing services. Years of underinvestment have brought about a waste crisis which impacts daily on residents and workers alike.
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Old Tynecastle High School: Gorgie Deserves Better.
Why members of Living Rent Gorgie/Dalry are objecting the development of Tynecastle High School by property developers. The Old Tynecastle High School is a B-listed conservation building on Macleod Street in Gorgie. It served as the high school from 1912 until 2009 when the school relocated to a new building across the road. It has been unoccupied since 2009 and, therefore, has fallen into some disrepair. Nevertheless, it remains a handsome building with a lot of character. Long-term residents in Gorgie remember when the school was open and active, a hub for evening and after-school activities. It is located between the North British Distillery on the west, the Hearts Stadium to the south, the West Approach Road on the north, and the new Tynecastle High School and Love Gorgie Farm to the south-east. It could not be more at the heart of the Gorgie community. (Photo Left: person dressed up as a cow saying 'Students aren't cash Cows' and person right dressed up as a property developer holding fake money) (Image right: lots of people gathered on front of the Old Tynecastle High School holding signs saying 'Love Students, Hate PBSA' 'students deserve better' 'more social housing')
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Living Rent is recruiting two organisers and one member defence coordinator
Living Rent is continuing to build membership and power across Scotland. As we grow, we need to expand the staff team, in order to provide greater support for members, outreach, training and campaign wins!This next recruitment round will support membership and branch growth in Edinburgh and Glasgow, but also expand the team to support members in North Lanarkshire (Motherwell and Wishaw) to build their branch. If you would like to be a part of the team, consider applying for one of the roles as they appear advertised below.We are very excited to continue growing our organisation and one of these jobs is for YOU!
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Our win: rent controls and a crackdown on evictions
On the 20th August, the SNP announced a co-operation deal with the Scottish Greens to form a majority in favour of a second independence referendum. This deal was not confined to the push for Scottish independence and included many other policies that the newly formed government agreed to implement. For us, the co-operation agreement that the new government put forward included huge wins for tenants, the biggest among them: rent controls.
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Holmlea Primary School: Fuel Poverty Negotiations Update
On August 19th a negotiating team of our members, tenants of Newcastle based social landlord Home Group, living at the former Holmlea Primary School in Cathcart met with Home Group Director Sandra Brydon and CCG Scotland (construction company) Managing Director David Wylie to seek a constructive way forward regarding the dire situation of fuel poverty they have been left in due to the extortionately expensive heating systems installed in their homes. Members were glad that the directors showed reciprocal desire to negotiate in good faith, and all present came to several important mutual agreements. You can bring yourself update to on the campaign so far and read full details of the agreements reached here.
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Housing justice is Climate justice
As a union, Living Rent recognises the urgency and legitimacy of climate change, and the importance of human action and systemic change in building a sustainable future. As a union, we commit to fight for the provision of high quality, green and affordable housing for all and to fight for climate justice across our campaigns. The statement below outlines our position regarding climate change, and what we commit to doing in order to face collectively this global threat.
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