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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More Student Builds Will Help the Community? S1 Pulls a Fast One.
Tynecastle Development: Living Rent Gorgie/Dalry Branch update on their campaign to build affordable social housing in Gorgie instead of expensive student beds which treat students like cash cows.
(Picture source: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/council/application-submitted-for-controversial-plan-to-turn-old-edinburgh-school-into-student-accommodation-3356189.)
This Monday, S1 Developments made a press release to the Edinburgh Evening News to commemorate their application to turn the old Tynecastle High School in Gorgie into more purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA). PBSAs are often expensive and poor quality, they drive up local rent prices, and they do nothing to fix the critical shortage of social and affordable housing in our country. For these reasons, our branch has been campaigning hard against this proposal from the beginning, but a wealthy property developer like the Teague Group has the resources to spin it into a great idea that will benefit the community. So, here are our responses to a few of the key claims made in the article:
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A lack of confidence: why Scottish tenants need rent controls too.
On Monday 21st of June, opposition parties in Sweden’s Riksdag met in central Stockholm and agreed to back a notion of no-confidence in Social Democrat Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. The vote forces Löfven to decide between calling a snap election or resigning from his post. The historic vote was not triggered by any personal scandal with the Social Democrat Party or Löfven himself, but due to the fragile coalition government’s refusal to withdraw legislation that would remove rent controls on new housing. https://www.independent.ie/business/world/berlinrent-freeze-tenants-left-out-in-the-coldafter-ruling-by-germancourt-40322207.html (Getty Images)
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Recruitment: Living Rent is recruiting an Edinburgh organiser
Living Rent is hiring!
Join our expanding team of organisers in Edinburgh to fight for housing that works for people, support local branches to organise and win! This is a fixed 12 months full time contract at Living Wage.
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Eviction Crisis: Living Rent's Demands
As restrictions ease across Scotland, Living Rent are deeply concerned about a wave of evictions due to rent arrears built-up during the pandemic. Although the eviction ban was a welcome policy to protect renters, without additional protections for tenants the ban alone is insufficient and as a result renters have still been evicted through-out the pandemic. The Scottish Government must act now to not only rigidly protect renters from eviction, but from the conditions that threaten them with eviction in the first place.
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Four years on: justice for Grenfell
Today marks four years since the country watched in horror as Grenfell Tower burned live on the news. Living Rent again expresses its full solidarity with the bereaved, survivors and the wider community of Grenfell Tower and their ongoing search for justice.
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Summer Training Schedule
Living Rent’s training program: Fighting for the future
In 2020, Living Rent doubled in size with neighbourhood branches organising across Edinburgh and Glasgow and groups forming across Scotland. The year 2021 presents us with great challenges, notably the combined impact of Brexit and the Covid pandemic on our communities, as well as significant opportunities to fight for the future we deserve and need. Supported by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Living Rent is organising training to support tenants and residents to hone their skills and understandings, in order to best seize these opportunities.
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Housing and the Cabinet Reshuffle
In the Scottish Government’s reshuffle announced earlier this week, a new Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government was appointed. Living Rent welcomes Shona Robison and bids farewell to Kevin Stewart. We take a look at the last Housing Minister’s last year and the challenge ahead.
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