Monthly Archives: April 2020

TAKE ACTION ON MAYDAY TO DEMAND EMPTY HOMES ARE OPENED!

#housingcrisis, Covid-19, families, Focus E15 Campaign, housing crisis, overcrowding

Following our online meeting with Moms 4 Housing, Focus E15 have decided to call for action on Friday 1st May, in the form of creating and displaying banners to demand that empty homes are opened because housing should be a human right.

Get creative and make your banner – walk down the street with it, hang it out a window, whatever you prefer. But make sure to take a picture and hashtag: #OpenEmptyHomes and #HousingIsAHumanRight

Our friends and comrades in the USA and around the world will also be doing action to highlight the same message. Follow Moms4Housing here: https://moms4housing.org/

Remember to check out the Moms4Housing meeting podcast: https://focuse15.org/2020/04/26/moms4housing-webinar-released/

Give solidarity, take action this Mayday!

Moms4Housing webinar released

class, gender, housing crisis, podcast, racism, women,

On Sunday 19 April 2020 Focus E15 campaign in Britain and Moms4Housing in the USA organised  an online webinar to discuss tactics during the Covid19 pandemic. Focus E15 campaign have edited the audio and are releasing it as a podcast which you can find below. During the meeting attention was turned towards ways to take action on May 1st to mark international workers day and to take our campaigns for decent long term secure housing onto the streets.

RECLAIM HOMES FROM THE USA TO THE UK – ONLINE PUBLIC MEETING – REGISTER NOW

#housingcrisis, class, Coronavirus, Covid-19, E15 Occupation, eviction resistance, evictions, families, Focus E15 Campaign, focus E15 mums, homelessness, hostel, housing crisis, housing struggles, intentional homelessness, overcrowding, private landlords, public action, race, racism, refugee, single mothers, social cleansing, women, , ,

On Sunday 19th April at 6pm London  / 10am California join us for this meeting co-hosted by Focus E15 Campaign in London, England and Moms 4 Housing in Oakland, California, USA https://moms4housing.org/ 

There are four times as many empty homes in Oakland as there are people without homes, and in the UK there are double the amount of empty homes as homeless people.

 

The Covid-19 crisis has escalated the need for action to allow everyone to be housed and live in dignity and safety.

This session will hear from grassroots organisations either side of the Atlantic who are taking action against this same problem. We are using this time of crisis to share experience, education and ideas for action.

These people need homes, these homes need people!

REGISTER HERE:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_whmQYqKTT72mg06iZtxrcw 

 

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In response to the Covid-19 emergency

housing crisis

Focus E15 campaign sends love and solidarity to  those who are suffering under the Coronavirus emergency – whether physically, mentally, or economically. We salute all key workers and give our gratitude to them for working to keep us safe and well.

During this crisis, housing campaigners need to be heard, we will not stay silent as the gross inequalities and cracks in the system are laid bare for all to see. Housing is a public health emergency. Our demands are as follows:
 
Open all empty homes now: families living in crowded temporary accommodation need long term stability and the space to get well.  We know of countless cases of families surviving in single rooms, like the families stuck in Brimstone House hostel.  We have been saying for 6 years to Newham Council -open all homes on Carpenters Estate now!
 
Provide long-term housing for those in temporary accommodation and for those who are street homeless.  To stay safe and well people need secure housing.
 
Long-term freeze on rental payments and evictions – find out more about your housing rights during the pandemic https://londonrentersunion.org/c19rentcrisis/
 
Give all our key workers the protective equipment they need – it is urgent to keep all our friends and families safe and protected.
 
It is important that we are stay connected to our local communities at this difficult time.  We encourage you to join a Mutual Aid group to find support near you:  https://covidmutualaid.org/
 
Educate, Agitate Organise!
Focus E15 Campaign is committed to politically organising and taking action during the lockdown in the following ways:
 
EDUCATION and ORGANISING:  We are running a program of weekly political discussions, which we are calling  ‘virtual street stalls’, where we can stay in touch with each other and be up to date with the key issues around housing and Covid 19, in order to educate ourselves.  Every week we will  try and have an invited speaker, share an article or short video clip and discuss a different topic. We will also be hosting virtual special political meetings and online monthly campaign meetings. Please join us and spread the word!
 
Sat 11th April, virtual street stall:  EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS FROM INDIA
 
Sat 18th April, virtual street stall:  HISTORICAL FEMINISM and the fight against Domestic Violence during Covid-19
 
Sun 19th April, political meeting:  RECLAIM HOMES, from USA to UK.  Hosted by Moms 4 Housing in Los Angeles, and Focus E15 Campaign in London.
 
Sat 25th April, virtual street stall:  EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS FROM PALESTINE
 
Sat 2nd May, monthly campaign meeting: POLITICAL STRUGGLES IN LATIN AMERICA-   from Colombia to Cuba. Internationalism in the fight against Covid-19!
 
Please find details of all these events + Zoom call information by regularly checking the Focus E15 campaign’s Facebook page.