N. 04 january 2020 - European Action Coalition
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Illustrations by ©Ana Filipa Olímpio Curly // cargocollective.com/curlyworks
2020
january
n. 04
INDEX
ABOUT US 02
MEMBERS 04
PUBLIC HOUSING 06
Meeting in Cluj
EAC MEETING 2019 09
European Action in Berlin
Coalition for the Right to
Housing and to the City HOUSING FINANCIALIZATION 10
Brochure
The European Action Coalition for Given the emergency of the situation, MIPIM 12
the Right to Housing and to the City common campaigns and actions in Romania
is a convergence process between have been set up between European
movements from different cities in movements. Anti-Mipim* campaigns “ROZBRAT IS HERE TO STAY!”
several european countries fighting for were held in Cannes and London
13
The oldest squat faces eviction in Poland
the respect of these fundamental rights. in 2014, decentralized actions to
protest against vulture funds such as
After having campaigned independently “Blackstone”, responsible of massive HOUSING CRISIS 14
for years, those movements (groups and, purchases of properties and thus in Greece
social movements composed by tenants, promote speculation dynamics.
slum/ self-built neighborhoods dwellers, STOP PERSECUTION OF ACTIVISTS
16
squat residents, victims of inadequate All these joint-actions emerged from a in Turkey now!
housing, victims of eviction or affected strong will to create a European Action
by indebtedness, professionals and Coalition for the Right to Housing and
HABITA!
researchers) felt the need to gather in to the City, in order to adopt common 18
in Portugal
order to strengthen this fight to take positions on European housing policies
common action and common positions and to create solidarity bonds between
CYPRUS NOW 20
on European Housing issues. all those movements, which will enable
them to strengthen their own struggles.
European Union has gradually adjusted The Coalition is a fundamental THE FIGHT FOR RENT CONTROLS 22
its policies on the neo-liberal model convergence of movements in an in Scotland
involving market self-regulation, the European space increasingly at the
withdrawal of the welfare state and the service of finance and deregulatory
“AFFORDABLE HOUSING” AND “SOCIAL 24
erosion of the social model. policies which affect the fundamental
rights, and drive its populations to
HOUSING”
To this adjustment was added the poverty and precariousness in all New ways of public housing privatization and
“crisis” phenomenon, which had an dimensions of their lives. financialization in Europe
unprecedented impact on housing
conditions all over Europe: increasing *The biggest real estate fair worldwide REPRESSION AND CRIMINALIZATION 30
commodification process, deregulation, – conference, exhibition, networking of the housing movement in Serbia
reduced public investment and and transaction – where properties
financialisation; that made access and lands are sold and tap into high-
AIRBNB AND CO DRIVE US OUT OF OUR 36
conditions to descent housing even potential real estate markets in a non-
more difficult and caused the weakening transparent and non-democratic way.
NEIGHBORHOODS AND CITIES TOURISTS IN
of housing policies, the increase of HOTEL, FAMILIES IN HOUSES!
inadequate housing, victims of evictions in France
and homeless people and the sharp ---- housingnotprofit.org ----
rise of rents and housing prices. These info@housingnotprofit.org HOUSING ACTION DAY 38
phenomena thus reinforce Cities and facebook: @europeancoalition Call for the Housing Action Day on the 28th of
social segregation. twitter: @4housingandcity March 2020
2 3
MEMBERS
European Action Coalition for the NEDERLAND
SWEDEN
ORT TILL ORT POLAND
WIELKOPOLSKIE STOWARZYSZENIE
Right to Housing and to the City BOND PRECAIRE WOONVORMEN LOKATORÓW
SCOTLAND
LIVING RENT
CZECH REPUBLIC
WAKE UP HOUSES
BELGIUM
HABITAT ET PARTICIPATION HUNGARY
A VÁROS MINDENKIÉ
ENGLAND
RADICAL HOUSING NETWORK
JUST SPACE
ROMENIA
FRONTUL COMUN PENTRU DREPTUL
LA LOCUIRE
CASI SOCIALE ACUM
IRELAND
HOUSING ACTION NOW
IRISH HOUSING NETWORK
FRANCE GEORGIA
AITEC
URBAN REACTOR
DAL
HALEM
SPAIN
PAH
All texts and pictures by the European
Action Coalition for the Right to
Housing and to the City, unless stated
otherwise. CROATIA CYPRUS
PORTUGAL PRAVO NO GRAD
SERBIA ACTION NETWORK FOR THE
HABITA! HOUSING AND THE CITY
Illustrations by Ana Filipa Olímpio Curly, ZA KROV NAD GLAVOM
Martijn Koolstra and Murat Başol. GERMANY KO GRADI GRAD CYPRIOT MOVEMENT AGGAINST
EVICTIONS
BÜNDNIS ZWANGSRÄUMUNG VERHINDERN NE DA VI MO BEOGRAD
Printed in Europe 2020. SOLIDARITY ACTION NEUKÖLLN
A CITY FOR ALL!
This publication is free of charge. MIETERLNNENVEREIN WITTEN
ITALY GREECE
COMITATO ABITANTI SAN SIRO/CANTIERE PLEISTIRIASMOI STOP
January 2020
RETE DIRITTI IN CASA
4 5
PUBLIC HOUSING
problems around public and social Our proposals include the following: ent levels of governments (i.e. they
housing that occur across countries take back privatized social housing should loosen regulatory restrictions
as follows: from big landlords and companies on real estate developers); policies
and make it public again; transform favoring homeownership should be
and use empty properties and lands replaced with policies promoting
“The European Action Coalition for for public housing; stop the accu- rental housing. These proposals are
Meeting in Cluj the Right to Housing and the City af- mulation of homeownership in the based on the WB idea according to
firm: housing is a human right, not a hands of investment funds or real which housing shortage and rising
commodity, HOUSE IS HOME. estate developers.” prices are due to the fact that the
But in capitalism, housing is a com- housing market is not functioning
modity and a financial asset. Inter- In the afternoon and evening of the well, therefore the solution for these
national institutions claim that the 29th of March 2019, we organized problems would be to make it more
current housing crises should be a public presentation about pub- efficient. We approach these ideas
solved by the market and by more lic housing policies across Europe, with a deep criticism, since for us it
deregulation in the domain of hous- and a street protest titled “Solidar- is the market and the deregulation
ing. Neoliberal policies insist that ity with Berlin. European Manifes- favoring real estate developers and
public money should be invested to for Public Housing.” The video the capital that creates the housing
in the production of housing by the made about the later by Căsi sociale crises, so for us the solution of hous-
private sector. Real estate develop- ACUM! is available here with English ing crises consists in taking out from
ments make high profits for the in- subtitle: https://www.youtube.com/ the market as many lands and build-
vestors and banks, and don’t serve watch?v=mjufZiWpHsA. ings as possible and in strengthen-
people’s housing needs. [...] ing the control on them for the ben-
In all of our countries, neoliberal In addition, at the Cluj meeting, efit of people.
market policies are dominating the the Public housing thematic group
politics and economics of housing, discussed about the current trans- We agreed that it would be good if
continue the enforcement of privat- national trends in housing politics. the EAC could have its own state-
ization of social housing and there Most importantly about the afforda- ment on the current housing crises
is a long waiting list for public and ble housing initiative promoted and on the possible solutions to that,
social housing.” nowadays in the European Union, and - in this way - it could position
defined under the EU Urban Agen- itself on the global and European
On the base of the work from above, da and promoted by the “Housing stage where these issues are debat-
we elaborated the “European Mani- Partnership Action Plan” (https:// ed. The elaboration of the document
festo for Public Housing: Public mon- ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/hous- FOR ANOTHER EUROPE, WHICH DE-
ey for public housing - Public hous- ing/housing-partnership-final-ac- FENDS THE RIGHT TO HOUSING!
ing from public money,” accesible tion-plan), and by the European (http://bit.do/ForAnotherEurope)
here: https://casisocialeacum.ro/ Citizens Initiative “Housing-for-all” and the video statement with the
archives/3586/european-manifes- (www.housingforall.eu). In relation same message (https://www.
to-for-public-housing/. with this trend, we expressed our youtube.com/watch?v=kRiZHen-
The Public housing thematic group political context of housing policies; bad conditions. concern about investing public mon- htEA&fbclid=IwAR0rOcMqP-CkdG-
of the European Action Coalition for hosuing-related legislation; financial We formulated our demands as fol- ey into the so-called “affordable 2f8laY4uER8h5pGfSVZkNiOr5BsgL-
the Right to Housing and to the City resources for public housing; statis- In Ireland there is an enormous de- lows: housing” produced by private com- Cxn6cpKPV98inLzo) is a good
had a meeting in the city of Cluj, Ro- tics on public and social housing; mand for public housing and due panies and/or by public-private part- starting point in this endeavor, be-
mania, on 28-29 March 2019 with activist actions on the subject. Very to neoliberal housing policies we “The European Action Coalition for nerships that could benefit at the cause it firmly states:
the participation of activists from briefly put, we concluded that peo- struggle with the absence of pro- the Right to Housing and the City end of the day, as history showed,
the following members of the EAC: ple from these countries are faced grams for building public housing, asserts that the right to housing is a the private entities and could turn “The housing crises cannot be solved
CăSi sociale ACUM/ Social housing with the following difficulties: evictions, poor tenant protection universal right! We militate for a sys- public investment into a fuel of the without the adoption of the universal
NOW (Cluj-Napoca), Frontul Comun and a lack of regulation of home- tem that assures housing for all! We housing market and source of prof- right to housing as a fundamental
pentru Dreptul la Locuire (Bucha- “In Greece we struggle with the lack lessness services and large num- want a public housing stock that as- it. But we also observed that under duty of all EU institutions and mem-
rest), Habita (Lisbon), DAL - Droit of public housing policy, lack of pro- bers of unused empty buildings and sures the right to housing for those such a scheme of differentiating be- ber states, and its implementation
Au Logement (Paris), AITEC (Paris), tection of tenants and of indebted large numbers of Travellers and mi- who cannot afford a home from the tween affordable housing and social into a European housing strategy;
Stop Auctions (Athen), and Housing people who are under the risk of grants, asylum seekers who have market, and makes the fulfillment housing, there is a risk that social without guaranteeing and supporting
Action Now (Dublin). Besides rep- losing their houses through auc- no right to housing. of the housing needs of low-income housing will be reduced to a type of publicly regulated democratic not-for-
resentatives of these movements, tions and evictions. people a high priority! We want to housing-for-the-poorest-only, being profit housing for broad strata of the
members of the Irish Housing Net- In Romania housing is considered a take out from the market as many produced/owned/administered by population, outside EU competition
work and Blocul pentru Locuire from In Portugal there is an enormous merit and not a right, and the low buildings and as much land as non-governmental or charity organ- rules and financial capital flows; with-
Romania also participated. demand for public social housing, incomes and high housing costs possible. We demand that nation- izations. out an EU-framework which allows,
while rents rise and evictions that are depriving people from adequate al laws implement the provisions encourages and supports strict social
Within the frame of our internal leave people homeless are support- homes, while housing development of international treaties on hous- We also talked about the World regulations of profit-oriented private
workshops, in a first step we elab- ed by law. is almost exclusively made by the ing rights and on forbidding forced Bank’s new proposal regarding landlords, market rents, land mar-
orated some country sheets on private sector.” evictions. We demand that central housing, mobility and welfare in kets, mortgage, transparency, facility
public housing including informa- In France we do not have sufficient governments keep their responsibil- the EU that includes the following: services and social measurements in
tion about: the definition of public public housing, the costs of housing Based on the knowledge about ity towards the right to housing for national, regional, and local policy cases of credit default; without pro-
housing, social housing, affordable including utilities are very high and these country-specific situations, all, in order to solve the problem at makers should reduce the housing tecting, encouraging and supporting
housing; the historical and current many people are homeless or live in we defined the common/ shared country level. supply barriers erected by the differ- the engagement and organization
6 7
EAC MEETING 2019
of tenants and other inhabitants for es of capitalism, the state easily
their rights and the needed structur- modified legislation regarding social
al changes in housing, land and real and public housing according to the
estate.” interests of capital, as a result of
which the housing stock built from
The Public housing thematic group public money could be sold out.
of EAC acknowldedges that there This opened up the privatization, in Berlin
is no single formal definition of so- commodification and financializa-
cial housing and public housing tion of public and social housing. In July 2019 Zwangsräumung Ver- landlord in Berlin, exploiting about groups. Some of the major deci-
in the European countries, while Therefore, when today we are de- hindern Berlin (Stop Evictions 111.000 dwellings. Deutsche Woh- sions made were: the organization
these definitions may relate to sev- manding public housing as a mean Berlin) and Solidarische Aktion nen und Co Enteignen has set the of the International Action Day 2020
eral aspects: ownership; who con- for assuring the right to housing as Neukölln were in turn to host the goal to push the Senate of Berlin by on the 28th of March of next year,
structs the dwellings; whether or a universal right with a focus on sat- meeting of the European Action Co- initiating a referendum to apply the the formation of a working group
not rents are below market levels; isfying the housing needs of those alition in Berlin. The meeting was Article 15 of the German Basic Law researching on financialization that
the relevant funding and/or subsi- who cannot afford a home from the timed upon a momentum of rising and expropriate housing from com- will meet separately later this year,
dy stream; the purpose for which market, we should also demand its new initiatives and forms of action panies owning over 3000 units. and last but not least the approval
the housing is provided. Most im- socialization or assuring that it is in the city since 40.000 people as a member for the cypriot group
portantly, we observe that due to kept out from the market once and joined the demonstration against This article states that land, natural Action Network for the Housing and
the different historical trends of for all. the outrageous rents (Mietenwahn- resources, and means of production the City. As part of the assembly we
housing politics, in some countries sinn) in April. Besides of offering the may for the purpose of socialization had the honor to have the turkish
the percentage of social housing is approriate working environment for [Vergesellschaftung] be transferred activist Mücella Yapıcı with us giving
higher than in others (i.e. in the ad- the assembly, this was also a good to public ownership or other forms an input on the struggles of the right
vanced capitalist countries); while oportunity to introduce the coalition of public enterprise by a law that to the city movement in Istanbul,
in the countries where the social to the larger movement and to show determines the nature and extent of Turkey.
housing stock is very low (in the for- our guests around the spaces of re- compensation. Altough it has never
mer socialist countries) it is about a sistance in Berlin. been applied in this field before, this During the breaks messages were
housing stock owned by the state, article provides with a legal basis recorder in solidarity with the 14
contrary to other countries where About 50 participants came from for the collectivization of housing. activists from the Gezi Park resist-
social housing might be produced/ Enikő Vincze, all over Europe to contribute to the Guests of the EAC meeting have ance facing life sentence and with
owned/ administered by private en- work of the Coalition and to meet symbolically signed for the initiative Rozbrat, the oldest squat in Poznań,
tities. Nevertheless, we could see in Căsi sociale ACUM!/ Social housing each other. The three main locations with a giant pen on a giant signature Poland, now under threat of evic-
all countries that in different phas- NOW in the neighbourhood of Kreuzberg sheet, and added their own local ex- tion. As a closing some participants
were already telling stories from the ploiters on the list of future expropri- went for a guided walk in the close
history of urban struggles in the city. ated landlords. by district of Neukölln, visiting some
These were the Regenbogenfabrik of the neighbourhoods and spaces
- a manufacture building first squat- Since then the initiative has hand- fighting back gentrification, as well
ted in 1981 - is now a cooperative ed over more than three times the as the former Airport of Tempelhof,
organisation running a hostel, a number of signatures necessary for today a large public park saved from
café, a cantine, a cinema and a bike the first round and the proposal has big investment by activist.
workshop; New Yorck in Bethanien - been juristically approved by differ-
a space squatted in 2005 and after ent institutions, among them the Re- We would like to thank again for all
years of struggles legally recognized, search Service of the German Parlia- those who participated, supported
now offering space for a great num- ment. Friday evening during a public us, and prepared the themes so we
ber of anti-racist, anti-war and right event the international and local could again complete a constructive
to the city groups; Aquarium - a rel- groups were briefly introduced and assembly. See you all later this year,
atively new community space used the documentary ‘A început ploaia’ or even before during protests, ac-
by activists, neighbours and workers (It started to Rain) was screened, tions, assemblies all over Europe!
on Kottbuser Tor. teling the sotry of the families fight-
ing back eviction on Vulturilor Street
During the four days of the meeting in Bucharest.
we have seen many other places,
projects and groups through differ- The screening was followed by a
ent events, actions and neighbour- discussion in the presence of the
hood walks. Thirsday and Friday director Michele Lancione and Ema-
were mainly assigned for the skills nuel Georgescu representing the
building workshops. struggling families from the docu-
mentary. The film is freely accesa-
On Friday morning we have togeth- ble online. The assemblies were
er visited the housing complex Ot- kept on Saturday and Sunday. This
to-Suhr-Siedlung to meet its ten- time the coalition discussed themes
ants and the initiative Deutsche such as the finances of the network,
Wohnen und Co Enteignen (Expro- expantion of the public outreach,
priate Deutsche Wohnen and Co.). important functions in the coalition
Deutsche Wohnen is the biggest and the next steps of the working
8 9
HOUSING FINANCIALIZATION
Brochure
It has been over 10 years now since for the Right to Housing and to the This second brochure, following up on This publication then goes on to to Prague and from Berlin to Athens,
the collapse of the subprime mort- City (ACRHC) addressed the impact its predecessor addresses these dy- outline policies aiming to meet the has been fundamental to bringing this
gage market triggered the financial of the financial crash on the lives of namics and developments by examin- ACRHC’s demand for radical improve- brochure to fruition. Our thanks go out
crash and yet it is as if nothing has millions of people in Europe and their ing the recent interrelations between ments to be made to the current disas- to each one of them, not only for their
changed, with the financial sector resistance to these developments. capital and housing, bringing these trous state of affairs, before conclud- hard work putting this publication to-
continuing to wield great influence Today, investment funds and banks together under a single cover term, ing with a series of inspiring examples gether but above all for the battles
over the housing market. Banks and are buying up entire neighbourhoods namely the ‘financiali- zation of hous- of the resistance in many cities to the that they are fighting day in, day out
investors are still profiting from the and pushing speculative investments ing’. Its main goal is to provide clear financialization of housing. regarding this issue.
popular classes’ basic need for hous- in cities with the support of national answers to the many questions raised
ing, thereby shaping our cities to line and European institutions at a rate by this trend: an objective achieved in Once again, the collective input (in Federico Tomasone,
their own pockets. never seen before. This is exacerbat- no small part thanks to the structure terms of both research and writing) of
ing the level of conflict surrounding of the text taking its lead from a list of many affected people, whether mem- Project Manager at Rosa-Luxem-
The brochure Resisting Evictions affordable housing and is increasing questions and its dense yet accessi- bers of activist groups or precarious burg-Stiftung, Brussels Office
across Europe we published in 2016 displacements and evictions. ble style of writing. academics who have been organizing
with the European Action Coalition struggles around housing from Lisbon
HOUSING FINANCIALIZATION:
TRENDS, ACTORS AND
PROCESSES
More info:
housingnotprofit.org/resources
Illustration by ©Martijn Koolstra // www.martijnbeelden.nl
10 11
MIPIM “ROZBRAT IS HERE
in Romania
Before the 39th MIPIM real estate fair
in Cannes, in March 2019, housing
activists and militant researchers
from Social Housing NOW! and The
17 years (some evictions affecting
tens of families). Romania has the
highest overcrowding rate in Europe.
About 25% of the population lives
At this year’s MIPIM, it is the mayor of the
5th District of Bucharest (the poorest
district of the Romanian capital),
together with two representatives
TO STAY!”
The oldest squat faces eviction in Poland
Common Front for Housing Rights under the risk of poverty and almost of the lawyer company “Ionescu &
have prepared a statement to 40% of the population lives under the Sava” who sell their land (100 ha of In October, Rozbrat squat is celebrating a fight. Rozbrat has countless times independent groups in Poland. We are
denounce the less known real estate risk-of- poverty-and-social exclusion. greenfield – 1,6 million sqm built its 25th birthday, but its future is proved to serve the public interest, building a movement that relies on
profit-making mechanisms at the EU About 50% of the employees earn area, 10.000 dwellings, 300.000 sqm uncertain. A bailiff is preparing to in contrast to the authorities, which solidarity and mutual help instead of a
periphery. The statement was part the minimum wage and in-work office spaces) as “the best investment auction off the plot, which we occupy. represent the private interests of real rat race. We have organized hundreds
of a series of critical positions and rate poverty is 18%. Gini coefficient opportunity in Romania.” This “largest We won’t give it up without a fight! estate developers. of rallies and demonstrations decrying
denunciations towards MIPIM, from displays one of the highest income urban project developed in the last 30 contempt for people with a lower
activists and researchers in the wider inequality in Europe. Since 2007, the years in Romania,” which is planned Several years ago, Rozbrat filed a Over the past 25 years, thousands material status, a different skin color
networks around the European Action government has spent less than 800 to be created as “a new city within the case in court to secure rights to the of events have been organized or different views. This place has also
Coalition for the Right to Housing and million lei (around 150 million euros) city,” will be realized within a public- land we have been occupying based at Rozbrat: concerts, exhibitions, become a temporary and permanent
the City. for social housing. private partnership. The 5th District on adverse possession. The case theater plays, lectures, seminars and shelter for many homeless people.
has refused to offer public and social remains open. Despite that, on May workshops. Rozbrat has housed many
Romania is represented at MIPIM In this context, it becomes clear that housing for its precarious population, 15, 2019, the bailiff set an estimated grassroots initiatives: the anarchist Rozbrat celebrates 25 years, Rozbrat
by Paula Pîrvănescu, Secretary real estate developments in Romania and allowed forced evictions to take value of the land we occupy, which library and publishing house, the is here to stay!
of State within the Ministry for are based on speculative practices place continuously since the 90s, opens the way to an auction and a free bicycle workshop, various self-
Business Environment, Commerce and are using this country as a while preparing an urban regeneration possible forced eviction of Rozbrat. education initiatives, the printing
and Entrepreneurship. She plays an semi-periphery of Europe, while they plan for its deprived housing area, The date of the auction has not been workshop, a sports club, the kitchen
important role in “InvestRomania”, contribute to the increase of poverty Ferentari, which will leave further announced yet, but that can happen for Food not Bombs, and a rehearsal
which is the Government’s leading on its territory – with the complicity of families homeless. any time. space for musicians, among others.
body in promoting and facilitating state institutions. The state is serving
foreign investment in Romania. This the interests of capital, allocating Statistical data sustain that - after The history of the land is complicated: Rozbrat has also been home to
“gateway of business” states that public funds to sustain the banking falling between 2008-2009 and it was nationalized in 1948, but after several generations of activists who
Romania maintains its position as and real estate sector, while refusing 2011-2013 - since 2015, housing the transition to capitalism it was have played critical roles during many
“the leading foreign direct investment to invest into the development of prices continued to rise in the EU taken over by a private company as important social mobilizations and
recipient in South Eastern Europe”. public housing stock, which by now and in the Euro area (Fig. 2). In many part of a doubtful reprivatisation. debates on social issues. Activists
“InvestRomania” reaffirms that the is reduced below 2% in Romania. countries, they grew with significant That company took out high loans from Rozbrat and the Poznan Anarchist
country’s friendly business climate This politics keeps the population percentages between 2017-2018 and went bankrupt. The bank sold the Federation have actively defended
“secured a sound, healthy economy, in poverty, vulnerable to work (Fig.3), while in several countries their loan to a debt trading company who the most excluded inhabitants of
enjoying a generous state aid schemes exploitation and overburdened with increase rate was higher than the EU is now demanding that the bailiff sell our city. They have supported and
and a competitive tax system – one of housing costs. average (Fig.4). the land. The value of the land was initiated dozens of labor, tenant and
the lowest flat tax, VAT and income tax estimated at 6 million PLN (1.4 million environmental protests. It was we
in the EU, tax exemption on reinvested Under EU pressure, the Romanian More info euros). who co-founded the Wielkopolskie
profit and income tax exemption.” Legislation was changed to lift https://housingnotprofit.org/25- MEMBER DETAILS
Stowarzyszenie Lokatorów (the
interdictions to ownership rights years-of-mipim-is-enough/ The mayor of Poznan has declared regional tenants’ association). It
The Global Property Guide observed in over real estate such as apartments, Wielkopolskie Stowarzyszenie Lokatorów
that no tools are available to him that was we who brought the issue of
2018 that “the Romanian Real Estate commercial or industrial buildings, for could force the bank to relinquish illegal evictions to public light by wsl.stowarzyszenie@gmail.com
sector fared very well in the recent foreign citizens, stateless persons or MEMBER DETAILS
its claim to the plot and let the organizing eviction blockades, making
years”, Romania being “ranked on the for legal entities, regardless of their anarchists maintain possession of it impossible to throw sick, often wsl-poznan.pl
3rd position in the European ranking country of origin. Frontul Comun pentru Dreptul la Locuire
the land. But we know that the state disabled people, seniors and parents
of Gross Rental Yields (after Moldova and local governments have grounds
fcdloc@gmail.com with children out onto the street. It was FB: @wielkopolskiestowarzyszenielokatorow
and Ukraine). The gross annual rental Its regional so-called magnet cities for defending the social ownership of at Rozbrat that 15 years ago, the first
income (what a landlord can expect (Cluj-Napoca, Timişoara, Iaşi, the property. They are simply refusing
FB: @Frontul-Comun-pentru-Dreptul-la- meetings of the grassroots workers’
as return on his investment before Constanţa) are pushed to compete to make use of this right and stop
Locuire union Inicjatywa Pracownicza (IP)
taxes, maintenance fees and other among each other for attracting the land speculation. The bailiff, real were held, attended by the legendary
costs) is situated at 7.76% at the FDI, which – according to Colliers estate speculators and their political labor organizer Marcel Szary. Rozbrat
moment, outreaching countries like International – “is a proof that Romania allies have once again taken legal has also been the starting point of
Italy, Denmark, Germany or France. is starting to follow the Polish model of steps to get rid of us. countless demonstrations in defense
development”. The municipalities of
of parks and green areas in our city.
At the same time, in Romania these cities sell cheap their greenfield, It is our conviction that after 25 years
more than 100.000 families live in brownfields and other areas for urban this area belongs to the Rozbrat We have provided organizational,
precarious informal housing. More regeneration, trying to compete with community and needs to stay a legal, and moral support to thousands
than 24.000 forced evictions were Romania’s capital city. collective property of the movement. of victims of capitalism and of the
performed by the bailiffs in the last We are not going to give it up without state, and we have supported other
12 13
HOUSING CRISIS
of auction that means the evictions.
For this reason we present material
from the experience in Spain and
recently with the participation of
Pedro Martin Heras from PAH.
in Greece We have organize and participate up
to now in several presentations on
the problems that come as results
from airbnb and golden visa and we
have form certain proposals on the
issue.
Also we have made many proposals
on the use of empty buildings for
social housing and first of all the
need of an observatory on housing
issues and needs in Greece.
Many people believe that soon 1. The ongoing and everyday negotiate with the indebted families.
Greece is going to face a housing increasing of the number of auctions and the government to create a more
crisis. What we say is that housing protective legal frame for them. For
crisis is here! 2. The enormous increasing of this we organized mobilization in
airbnb and golden visa sales that front of ALPHA BANK that is quite
Our movement has started actions took out for the housing market active doing auctions this period.
at 2013 mainly on the field of thousands of houses and led to rise
auctions and evictions. After these of rent up to 4% for the last three We also mapping the funds that are
years of crisis we are now enlarge months buying red loans from the banks and
our interests and struggles on the are more aggressive in auctions.
housing problems more generally. 3. The luck of policies on public and
social housing Every week we are having
In a country that before crisis we mobilizations in front of notary’s
4. The insufficient social policies on MEMBER DETAILS
had 85% of home ownership this offices that are doing the electronic
percentage has decreased in only six tenants’ protection and support. auctions trying to push them to
Pleistiriasmoi Stop [Stop Auctions]
years to 74% and so has increased postpone the auction and give to
the number of tenants. So as movement we are trying to the indebted family the opportunity noauctionsgr@gmail.com
open our struggles in all these to negotiate.
Today the housing problems are fronts.
www.pleistiriasmoistop.blogspot.com/
related with four different issues. Also we are trying to sensitize
First of all by pressing the banks to people on the forthcoming results FB: @pleistiriasmoistop
14 15
STOP PERSECUTION
OF ACTIVISTS
in Turkey now!
16 activists from the Gezi Resistance 3. Immediately release the arrested Turkey in May 2013, due to the life sentence plus 2976 years for 16
in Turkey face trial with prosecutors activists, academics, journalists, disproportionate police force used people for their role in “organizing
demanding aggravated life sentence university students and artists who against the citizens who peacefully and financing” the Gezi protests.
plus 2976 years for their role in expressed their outrage against occupied Gezi Park in order to protect This latest attempt by Turkish
“organizing and financing” the Gezi undemocratic attempts; it from being unlawfully demolished authorities to put 16 people on
protests during the 2013 Taksim to make way for the construction of a trial with an indictment with zero
Solidarity protests in Istanbul, 4. Stop baseless accusations of shopping mall. Their determination substantiated evidence violating
Turkey. people that express democratic despite incessant police violence all universal legal norms, is a futile
demands (right to the city, stopping has influenced millions, constituting effort to smear this brilliant and
This latest attempt by Turkish evictions, unlawful urban processes a unique example to defend exemplary democratic resistance. It
authorities to put 16 people on etc.); environmental justice and urban is an irrational effort to criminalize
trial with an indictment with zero democracy. and thus silence environmentally
substantiated evidence violates 5. Stop the attempts that suppress and socially concerned individuals,
all universal legal norms and democratic rights for expression; Taksim Solidarity — an exemplary political parties, professional
is a futile effort to smear this urban initiative with the participation chambers, NGOs, urban grassroots
exemplary democratic resistance 6. Bring equal justice for all, of 126 NGOs, professional platforms. It is an unacceptable
and criminalize and thus silence especially for the victims of police chambers, labour unions, political attempt to reverse universal norms
environmentally and socially violence; parties, neighbourhood associations and to intimidate all citizens wanting
concerned individuals, political as well as individual citizens against to use their most basic democratic
parties, professional chambers, 7. Stop targeting and criminalizing the Turkish Government’s plans right to protest in order to protect
NGOs, urban grassroots platforms. journalists, academics, lawyers, to redevelop Taksim Square, in their rights and commons.
It is an unacceptable attempt to doctors and other professionals who the heart of Istanbul, including a
reverse universal norms and to seek to reveal truth; shopping mall in Gezi Park — was We reject these efforts and declare #geziyisavunuyoruz
intimidate all citizens wanting to use pursuing legal efforts to stop the that we stand beside these 16
8. Stop relating the peaceful Sign the petition at
their most basic democratic right project when bulldozers entered people and the millions that came
to protest in order to protect their defenses of rights with conspiracy Gezi Park under the cover of night. out to the streets to defend their
theories. http://chng.it/hHjn2FYmkX
rights and commons. most basic universal rights. We
The incessant police violence stand in solidarity with Taksim
We declare that we will closely Follow this process on Twitter
We reject these efforts and declare against peaceful protestors in the Solidarity and all the citizens of
that we stand beside these 16 follow the progression of this case following days ignited much wider Turkey, admiring their courage to
and stand behind our demands to @defendinggezi
people and the millions that came reactions and caused millions of defend democracy and life.
out to the streets to defend their support everyone involved with the people to come out to peacefully
most basic universal rights. We Gezi Resistance as it has been and protest in support of the Gezi
stand in solidarity with Taksim continues to be an honorable mass resistance all across the country and
Solidarity and all the citizens of movement that has inspired many in fact across the world. Instead of
Turkey, admiring their courage to other ‘right to the city’ movements bringing to justice the police officers
defend democracy and life. worldwide. responsible for the murder of 9
young people during the protests
We, members of the European To remind Turkish authorities that as well as more than 40 who lost
Action Coalition for the Right to solidarity is a duty, not a crime, the their eyes by direct hits of tear-gas
Housing and to the City coming Coalition has started a petition that canisters, and thousands injured,
from 20 countries, together with the we urge you to sign at http://chng. the Turkish Government has tried
Ilustration by ©Murat Başol
signatories of this petition demand it/hHjn2FYmkX repeatedly to criminalize peaceful
the Turkish Government to: protestors, doctors who helped
them during the protests, lawyers,
1. Stop the violation of human rights; academics and journalists.
BACKGROUND
2. Immediately exonerate the 16 In February 2019, Turkish
people on the Gezi Trial; The Gezi Resistance was sparked prosecutors put forward an
at Taksim Square of Istanbul, indictment demanding aggravated
16 17
HABITA!
in Portugal
The struggling year 2018/2019 for Housing, opening negotiations In a historical-geographical context Lisbon is under attack in many In short, the city is changing in
opened for us at Habita with the on several fronts. This has meant that is not inclined to activism, ways: it is becoming more expensive dizzying rhymes, but Habita as
exciting experience of hosting the that many families that had been Habita believes that it is essential every day and it is becoming difficult well. We are growing and we are
coalition meeting. A challenging excluded have now entered the to dynamize existing disputes and for its inhabitants to access many fierce, convinced that we can build
moment for our small community process of allocation. But the create bonds of struggle based on services, but also to an alternative a popular power necessary to save
MEMBER DETAILS
but that has allowed us to grow struggle continues, and it will last mutual knowledge and common culture that escapes the logic of the planet from the destruction of
enormously from an organizational, until everyone gets a home. practice. For this reason, in recent the market and privatization: we wild capitalism starting with the
Habita!
political and human point of view: times we have never failed to are proud to animate and be part of fight for housing.
knowing directly the struggles and Another important area of struggle dynamize new important realities the Sirigaita, local in the center of habita.colectivo@gmail.com
the comrades who carry them is that of the families occupying such as Stop Despejos (Stop Lisbon that is our headquarters, our
forward has supplied us with energy the houses of the social housing Evictions), the creation of new home, and that in a short time has habita.info
and allowed us to make a qualitative neighbourhoods of Lisbon. Like district committees, participation in become a cultural reference point
leap in terms of ambitions and daily private individuals who have left the trans-feminist movement and for many. FB: @habita.colectivo
practices of struggle. their buildings in the city centre so on.
to rot for years, the municipality is
On September 22, 2018, during unable to manage its assets except
the meeting, was held an important to sell them to the highest bidder. In
demonstration for the right to the social housing neighbourhoods
live, the first in this sense in the we are therefore faced with the
country since 2006. About three paradox in which families live in
thousand people paraded in the overpopulation, having thousands of
most diverse ways. The aim was to public houses uninhabited for years
put the housing crisis that crushes as neighbours. They are mainly
the country at the centre of the women with children who, tired of
public debate and to put together waiting for the attribution of a house
the frayed fabric of the city’s social to which they would be entitled,
movements to defend the city from decide to take the houses and save
property speculation. A goal that them from abandonment.
has been partially achieved: since
then media and parties have given We are still in a very difficult process
a different emphasis to the issue of of organizing the struggle, but the
housing, the different struggles have actions we have taken during this last
resumed dialogue, getting to know year (repeated collective speeches
each other, regroup. The ability to during municipal meetings, multiple
bring to the streets the necessary occupations of the Department
mass movement that serves to face of Housing Policy, a campaign of
a housing crisis (and social) of such constant communication) have
magnitude has been lacking. But we allowed the vast majority of these
had no illusions and we can say that, families have not been evicted and
together, we have traced the path to left on the street (as was the initial
follow. intention of the municipality in the
face of the problem).
Autumn saw us strengthen our
action in our more traditional fronts We continue to face difficulties
of struggle: we fought alongside in attracting and finding effective
the inhabitants of the informal strategies for rent problems in the
district 6 de Maio, in Amadora. For private sector. For this reason we
years, the City Council has been have undertaken training trips in
pursuing a policy of total demolition groups belonging to the coalition
of these neighborhoods, very often and not, in order to learn the
without any care at all to provide organizational practices of these
alternative housing for residents. sectors in other countries. These
To ensure that all the inhabitants of trips have enabled us to strengthen
the neighborhood were assigned a our fundamental international
house, we have repeatedly occupied ties and to lay the foundations for
the premises of the State Secretariat improving our daily work.
18 19CYPRUS NOW
Already from his first tenure in was in court the bank could sell the
presidency, the neo-liberal President house and if at a later point the court
Anastasiadis, sent us a very clear concluded that what the bank did
message by the very acute way we was from irresponsible to criminal,
felt the shrinking of democracy, the all would happen would be for the
severe cut of our standard of living, bank to compensate the person
the increased unemployment , the who would have already lost his/her
flexible working conditions with the house or/and any other property.
utmost minimum wages, or the
mere “work hard and get a pittance” In this kind of situation, the auctions
and finally by depriving working sky rocketed and there was a lot of
people of their housing and other unrest. The pressure amongst the
small businesses or agricultural people was building up steadily. So,
properties. the Parliament very recently voted
for some relief law which actually
Τhe crisis was used by the regime allowed debtors to go to the courts
as a vehicle to transfer the social and question the legitimacy of the
wealth from the producers, that banks ’actions against them.
is the working people, to the elite.
This was achieved through surplus In essence the Foreclosure Law, as it
derived from unpaid and very low is now, is definitely unconstitutional
paid work. The looting process is and it is an insult to our society
still on. and our democracy. The two laws
voted recently by the Parliament
Ever since the looting started and the do not change the concept of the
Parliament covered it with the pro foreclosures law. What it does is that
bank law that gave banks immense it restricts the arbitrariness of the
rights (it was voted in 2014), working banks and it constrains the banks to
people were deprived of their follow the directions of the Central
housing and other properties as the Bank and finally to proceed to logical
banksters blackmailed with taking restructures of unsustainable loans.
property to pay off the unsustainable
loan. In some cases what people The “Presidential Referral” of these
gave in return to the loan payoff was two laws show beyond any doubt
enough; But in much more cases that this regime crashes down on
people lost almost everything and peoples’ human and constitutional
still owed to the banks. Only the rights, it is against public interest
time will come soon for them to be and it’s “solidarity” to the banks and
evicted from their homes. other looting institutions is more
than obvious.
This is how the Parliamentary
majority, then, facilitated the banks This is why we called for a
by giving them the right for express- mobilization and action outside the
quick foreclosure-auction and parliament on 29th July. We should MEMBER DETAILS
eviction rights, while they actually practice pressure on parliament
subtracted the rights from the members so as to make them vote Action Network for the
working people of having housing for the people and not to support Housing and the City
and a decent life, along with both the president foe a second time who
their human and constitutional fights for the “rights” of the banks infodictiodrasis@gmail.com
rights. As if all these were not and not the rights of the people. We
enough, last July the majority in the do not know the outcome yet, but we
Parliament voted a supplementary will stay mobilized as long as it takes
law that made things even worse for until we get the result we want.
people with unsustainable loans. In
essence now people had no chance
of asking for protection of any kind
from the bank arbitrariness, which
of course was well into the frame
of usury. Even if someone’s case
20 21THE FIGHT FOR RENT
controls we were calling for was We want a points-based system that
something called “Rent Pressure links the maximum rent a landlord
Zones (RPZs)” The idea was to can charge to the quality of the flat;
provide local authorities with an this would act as a carrot for them to
CONTROL
emergency measure to limit rent make improvements, and a stick for
increases in small, local hotspots. landlords who refuse to do so.
But there were a number of key
problems: This would also be attached to the
property, not the lease - meaning
The burden of proof on local that tenants moving out wouldn’t
in Scotland authorities is unreasonable and have any impact on the rent.
creates unnecessary barriers in
making successful applications. No We also want rents limited to a
BACKGROUND in the UK’s history. Although the involved tens of thousands of council has successfully been able specific Rent Affordability Index to
homes could only be bought by people backing our submissions to use these powers. ensure that they are affordable for
In 1915, a wave of rent strikes - their sitting tenants, huge numbers to the government, a coalition of tenants in any given area
starting in Glasgow and spreading very quickly made their way into the organisations representing over a RPZs only create rental limits within
across Scotland and the rest of hands of private landlords. As just million people (out of a population tenancies and do not prevent rent To oversee this all, we want a new
the UK - forced the Government one example of countless - Charles of just 5 million) formally supporting hikes between tenancies—doing Scottish Living Rent Commission
to introduce limits and freezes Gow, the son of Thatcher’s housing the campaign, and rallies and little to stabilise rents in the long to act as an umbrella body and a
on rent prices across the country. minister who implemented right-to- protests and days of action around term and creating dangerous side- centre of expertise and regulation in
These stayed in place until the late buy, now owns dozens of ex-council the country. effects. the private rented sector.
80s, when Margaret Thatcher’s homes. This has meant millions of
government scrapped them. people who in the past would’ve The campaign had three demands: RPZs only limit increases in rent, so A policy paper outlining the full
rented affordable council housing do not address the fact that rents proposal can be read here: https://
During the 70-odd years rent controls now without any other option but Give tenants greater security by in much of Scotland are already too www.scottishhousingnews.com/
existed in the UK, the proportion of private renting. scrapping the “no-fault ground for high. uploads/documents/Rent%20
people renting privately plummeted. eviction,” which landlords could Controls%20%282%29.pdf
That’s often pointed to by opponents Since the 80s, wages have stagnated previously use to evict a tenant RPZs do nothing to improve the
of rent controls as proof that the and house prices have sky-rocketed. without needing to give any reason. quality of Scotland’s PRS housing
policy was a disaster but, by any This means buying homes has stock. As detailed below, we
measure, the opposite is the case. become all but unaffordable for Give tenants greater flexibility by believe this is a significant missed THE CAMPAIGN
The number of people renting huge numbers of people. scrapping ‘fixed term’ tenancies and opportunity and that proper rent
privately fell because slums were instead making them open-ended controls represent a powerful tool Over the last year, we have
cleared and replaced by millions of Buy-to-let mortgages - specific and indefinite. to improve the quality of Scotland’s relaunched our campaign for a
good quality, publicly-owned homes schemes to allow existing PRS stock. proper system of rent controls in
through enormous programs of homeowners to buy homes Reintroduce rent controls (more on Scotland, and have been working
council house building. At the same specifically to rent them out - have our specific proposal below) The 2016 Act sought to provide hard to build support for the Living
time, trade unions successfully won led to huge numbers of new people greater tenant security, but without Rent proposal across the country.
pay increases that brought home become landlords. This has had We won the first two demands, and workable controls on rent, landlords
ownership within reach of people in a massive inflationary impact on although we didn’t win the kind of can easily force out tenants through Polling consistently shows
ways it had never been before. house prices, further pricing renters rent controls we were calling for, the rent increases. overwhelming support for rent
out. government did introduce measures controls - and, in theory, all of the
But since rent controls were that - while they don’t and won’t help RPZs can only be applied to small, major parties in Scotland now
scrapped, the number of people The consequences of a wildly tenants - did amount to a political localised areas, so cannot address support the principle of it. But the
renting privately has more than unregulated private rental system recognition that the ‘free market’ the scale and degree of the rent details are important, and a major
tripled. Again, opponents of rent approach to rents had failed. focus of the campaign has shifted MEMBER DETAILS
are well-rehearsed. Tenants in problem in Scotland.
controls point to this as a success poverty, slum-like conditions making to ensuring that any model of rent
It is worth noting that the SNP, controls that comes in has the Living Rent
story but, again, the opposite is people sick, exacerbating social They are therefore unworkable
the case. There have been three inequalities, as well schewing the the governing party in Scotland, anyway, but even if a council was radical impact we believe it needs
voted unanimously at their party contact@livingrent.org
main causes for the increase in entire country’s economy towards able to bring them in, it’s unclear that to.
the proportion of people renting financialisation and unproductive conference in support of a motion they’d make much of a difference
www.livingrent.org
privately: capital investment. tabled by a Living Rent supporter anyway. We are therefore calling for But Living Rent is not a think-
for a proper system of rent controls, a different approach. tank, nor are we a small group of
FB: @livingrentscotland
At the same time as scrapping rent but this was never reflected in ‘experts’ in an office, divorced from
controls, Thatcher’s government their MSPs’ votes in the Scottish the struggle of tenants. We are
brought in the ‘Right-to-buy’ - a THE 2016 ACT Parliament, or in the party’s clear that 100 years ago, it was
scheme through which council manifestos. OUR PROPOSAL the militant action of tenants that
tenants could buy their council Fast forward to 2014, and the forced the government to introduce
home at massively reduced rates. Scottish Government announced The rent controls we are proposing rent controls - not glossy, persuasive
This scheme gutted social housing plans for a new private housing take aspects from models across policy papers. And we are clear that
across the UK, and is often pointed bill. Living Rent launched and ran a RENT PRESSURE ZONES Europe and to learn from the this is what it will take to win again.
to as one of the greatest transfers massive campaign calling for this bill challenges these models have
of public wealth into private hands to include the re-introduction of rent What the government introduced faced, to build a model specific for
controls in Scotland; this campaign instead of the kind of proper rent Scotland’s needs:
22 23“AFFORDABLE
The financial burden of the total housing
1
cost refers to the percentage of persons in
the total population living in a dwelling where
housing costs, including mortgage repayment
HOUSING” AND
(instalment and interest) or rent, insurance
and service charges (sewage removal, refuse
removal, regular maintenance, repairs and
other charges), consist a financial burden.
Related EUROSTAT data is accessible here
“SOCIAL HOUSING”
- http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/
show.do?dataset=ilc_mded04&lang=en
According to EUROSTAT, this rate refers
2
to the percentage of the population living
in a household where total housing costs
Map 1. Housing cost
represent more than 40% of the total
New ways of public housing privatization and financialization in Europe overburden rate among
people at risk of poverty
disposable household income.
earning less than 60%
Maps accessible here - https://public.
3
of median income
THE HOUSING CRISES modification, and financialization for the European Union, and its tableau.com/profile/nhf.research#!/vizhome/
(EU average 39.2%),
of housing, in parallel with the members included among others HousingcostsintheEU_0/Overburdened,
During the decade following the Source: 2015 Eurostat
decrease of people’s purchasing Housing Europe - the European made on the base of metadata presented in
2008 global financial crises, in- data3.
power are the systemic mecha- Federation of Public, Coopera- the report “The State of Housing in the EU,”
ternational organizations with nisms that (re)produce housing tive & Social Housing9. Ac- Housing Europe, 2017, available at: http://
a fundamental role in shaping crises in capitalism. Subsequent- cording to the Pact of Amster- www.housingeurope.eu/resource-1000/the-
financial and development pol- ly, these organizations continue dam agreed on the 30th of May state-of-housing-in-the-eu-2017
icies – such as the European to promote solutions that re-en- 2016 at the informal meeting of
Commission, the World Bank and force the privatization of public EU Member States’ Ministers re- See the document “European Manifesto
7
the International Monetary Fund housing and housing financiali- sponsible for territorial cohesion for Public Housing: Public money for public
– recognized the persistence of zation, while subordinating peo- and urban matters10, the objec- housing - Public housing from public money,”
housing crises across the world, ple’s housing needs and right s tives of this partnership were “to launched by the Public housing thematic
including the European Union. It to the financial interests of pri- have affordable housing of good group of EAC in Cluj-Napoca, on the 29th
is easy to observe that the rates vate companies and banks. In quality," the material re- of March 2019 (accessible here: https://
of financial burden of the total this article, I will signal some new sulted from this initiative being casisocialeacum.ro/archives/3586/
housing costs1 are unevenly dis- EU initiatives on the domain of also entitled "Affordable european-manifesto-for-public-housing/, and
tributed among the EU Member housing politics, which display Housing Partnership Final Action Map 2. Housing cost here: https://housingnotprofit.org/european-
States (Fig. 1). Moreover, the the tendencies mentioned above. Plan”11. Back in 2016, the Eu- overburden rate among manifesto-for-public-housing/
housing cost overburden rate2 is The European Action Coalition for ropean Action Coalition for the people renting their
exceptionally high among people the Right to Housing and to the Right to Housing and to the City home from the market
8
See the document “For another Europe,
at risk of poverty (Map 1), but it is City has to address critically such made a call to protest against the (EU average 27%), which defends the right to housing,” launched
also worrying among households issues. According to its political neoliberal policies that backed Source: 2015 Eurostat by the EAC as a call for the newly elected EU
who are renting their home from standpoint, public housing is an up this Pact12. data. Parliament in May 2019 (material accessible
the market (Map 2) and among instrument of guaranteeing hous- here https://housingnotprofit.org/campaigns/
homeowners with mortgages ing rights as universal rights, and The Housing Partnership Action for-another-europe-which-defends-the-right-to-
(Map 3). taking out as many buildings and Plan was launched in Vienna housing/)
as much land as possible from in December 2018 during the
Statistical data sustain that - af- the market is part of the solution “Housing for All” international 9
http://www.housingeurope.eu
ter falling between 2008-2009 to the housing crises7. Accord- conference attracting more than
and 2011-2013 - since 2015, ingly, EAC considers that the EU 300 affordable housing stake- 10
https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/
housing prices continued to rise institutions should stop both the holders from across the world. information/publications/decisions/2016/
in the EU and in the Euro area accumulation of homeownership “This is not the official position pact-of-amsterdam-establishing-the-urban-
(Fig. 2). In many countries, they in the hands of investment funds of the European Commission”, agenda-for-the-eu. The Pact of Amsterdam
grew with significant percentag- and real estate developers, and sustains the document; however, is built on a set of formerly adopted
es between 2017-2018 (Fig.3), the privatization of public and so- its initiators directed their recom- documents in the EU. Their list is presented
while in several countries their cial housing8. mendations towards the EU leg- here - https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/
increase rate was higher than the islators, and – acting under the sources/policy/themes/urban-development/
EU average (Fig.4). umbrella of the EU Urban Agenda agenda/urban-agenda-documents.pdf
THE HOUSING PARTNERSHIP – are well-positioned with their
When it comes to identifying the ACTION PLAN endeavors. The “Housing for All” https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/
11
Map 3. Housing cost
causes of housing crises, the Citizen Initiative13 seems to also housing/housing-partnership-final-action-plan
overburden rate among
international organizations ac- The Housing Partnership was cre- come to the support of the Hous-
homeowners with
knowledging it continue to be in ated as one of the four pilot part- ing Partnership Action Plan. 12
https://hic-gs.org/news.php?pid=6754
mortgages (EU average
a state of denial. They do not ad- nerships established within the
6.7%), Source: 2015
mit that privatization, super-com- framework of the Urban Agenda
13
https://www.housingforall.eu
Eurostat data.
24
24 25You can also read
