SNOB(AHA)

This is a story from Brighton’s local paper, The Argus. We took the liberty of correcting some obvious typos, but the rest is verbatum.

More power must be given to homeowners “menaced” by squatters to tackle the problem, MPs have said.

28th October 2011

It has been kept noticeably quiet that the government are attempting to pass a new law this coming Tuesday which will criminalise homelessness and the vulnerably housed by making squatting in the majority of empty buildings a “criminal offence”. In a move which bypasses democratic process, they are burying the new legislation in an amendment to the Legal Aid and Sentencing Bill, without allowing any meaningful public debate on the specific proposal. Findings in a recent public consultation on the issue of squatting showed that the vast majority of respondents were opposed to criminalisation and this underhand push completely ignores these findings.

As it stands thousands of otherwise homeless people have somewhere to live – however temporary. Despite common misconceptions (often propagated in the media and repeated by politicians, such as Mike Weatherly), people already have legal protection against others squatting their home. Stories of people occupying their house while they are on holiday are, almost without exception, invented by the media and the law is already adequate for these situations. The proposed amendment to the Legal Aid Bill is clearly not intended for these situations and has far reaching implications.

People who squat are looking for shelter and a home, not a criminal record. They are careful to do so in a manner that makes use of wasted buildings which have been kept empty for long periods of time, often protecting them from disrepair. Displacing other people from their homes is contradictory to the idea that housing is a basic human right for everyone. Squatted buildings have also been used for community projects, art exhibitions, free libraries and free shops, as well as campaigns against gentrification and many other positive community-involving examples. This move by the government is targeted at criminalizing all of this.

The law will also target some of the most vulnerable in our society – further increasing the problems of mass homelessness, streets full of empty properties, and the associated loss of community. At the same time the government’s program of unjust and unnecessary public cuts disproportionately affects the poorest and most marginalised in our society. Many are forced into homelessness by rising house prices, economic uncertainty, and fewer jobs; this proposed act would seriously affect thousands of people, forcing many of them onto the streets, into overflowing prisons, or into an already overstretched housing benefit system.
The government, police and the press try to associate squatting with criminal activity, mindless anti-social behaviour, and ‘immigrants’, in order to drive a wedge between people who squat and the rest of the society. Such slurs and misinformation must be rejected as they have no place in a democratic society. Criminal behaviour is no more likely to occur in squats than in any other form of housing. The contribution of the squatting movement throughout history has played a significant role in the struggle for better living conditions, and has a positive role to play in the future.

S.N.O.B calls on everybody to consider the rights of people to housing above the greed of property owners and speculators. There are more empty buildings in this country than there are homeless people, and S.N.O.B believes that it is disgraceful that people should be forced to live rough or in hostels when there are so many empty buildings which could be used for housing, but are left rotting. We believe that this amendment should be critically challenged, and the full impacts considered. It is essential that we raise as much awareness as possible about this amendment whilst the government tries to force this bill through quickly and quietly to avoid public debate.

We therefore call upon everyone from all walks of life, including human rights groups, trades unions, students, anti-cuts groups and everyone affected by the recession and austerity measures, to actively oppose the Legal Aid and Sentencing Bill.
Housing should be a right, not a privilege.

Squatters Network of Brighton (and Hove actually)
snobaha@gmail.com

A journalist has made an interesting investigation on housing, homelessness and squatters. It includes a youtube interview with a squatter.

Have you made your answer to the goverment consultation on squatting? The deadline is October 5 and SQUASH have made it easy to reply…

Dear Mr Weatherley,

We, the occupiers of the previously unused property at 29 Western Road, would like to invite you to the social centre we have created for a cup of tea and a friendly chat. We have free hot drinks and cake for anyone who wants it, comfy seats and meeting space for groups who need it. We have established a safe space with a free shop and library, with clothes, books and DVDs for people to take or borrow. If you were to visit, I’m sure we could find you a fetching hat or perhaps a much needed book on the class divisions of our society.

For a large part of your political career, you have held the criminalization of squatting to be a cause that you passionately believe in. Parliament is currently putting through legislation that will act as the first steps towards the criminalization of squatting. This will essentially result in the criminalization of people who are homeless in the midst of a housing and financial crisis, and who must resort to occupying empty and unused buildings simply in order to have a roof over their heads. It will also criminalise people like us, who have chosen to create a free cultural and community resource in a previously unused building, showing that you and the current government prioritises the financial interests of wealthy property owners before those of the homeless and disadvantaged. Official statistics state that, outside of London, Brighton has the highest number of rough sleepers, and yet according to a BBC article published in 27th February 2011 there are 3655 empty homes in Brighton and Hove. This ridiculous situation is only going to get worse if your unjust anti-squatting legislation is passed.

Your party’s “Big Society” was an idea flawed from the outset, and as the ruthless Conservative cuts are ravaging public services, this vision has completely failed to emerge. We are a group of people attempting to create community involvement from the bottom up, in a way which counters the short sighted views of the Conservative party. We would like to invite you to visit the social centre and see the efforts we have made, so that we may prove to you that our society is bigger than yours.

We are being taken to Brighton County Court on Friday, July 29th at 12.30pm in an attempt to evict us from this property, but until then – and hopefully for a long time after – we will be open to the public Monday-Saturday, 11am-7pm. Why not pop in some time and we can discuss this matter further?

Yours sincerely,
The Occupiers of the Wildkatz Social Centre
wildkatzsocialcentre AT hotmail.co.uk

[THIS IS A PISS-TAKE BY THE WAY]

The Squatters Network of Brighton [And Hove Actually]) has become increasingly concerned about the distress and misery that Government policy on squatters can cause. Law-abiding squatters who work hard for a living can spend a lot of time repairing damage to occupied buildings and clearing up the debris that unscrupulous owners have left behind.

We have met squatters and corresponded with members of the public who have expressed concern about the appalling impact Government policy on squatting has had on their properties or local neighbourhoods. We are also aware of smear campaigns in the media about noble squatters occupying residential properties in London, although we know the solution of squatting is not confined to the capital nor to affluent residential properties.

The Squatters Network of Brighton [And Hove Actually]) does accept the claim that is sometimes made that squatting is a reasonable recourse of the homeless resulting from social deprivation. There are avenues open to those who are genuinely destitute and who need shelter. When those have been explored without success, there is always the final step of occupying an empty property. No matter how compelling or difficult the owner’s own circumstances, it is wrong that legitimate occupants should be deprived of the use of a clearly unused property.

Of course, the Government must also tackle problems affecting the wider housing market and bring more empty homes back into productive use.

The Squatters Network of Brighton [And Hove Actually]) acknowledges that squatting can have a positive impact on the enforcement authorities, local authorities, homeless charities and other organisations. Any option we decide to pursue as a result of a squatting action is necessary and proportionate, based on evidence of the scale of the problem and the effectiveness of current sanctions. Squats need to be workable and affordable, taking account of the current economic climate and reduction in government expenditure. Ultimately, once our freedoms are outlawed only us outlaws are free.

There should be no doubt about the seriousness with which the Squatters Network of Brighton [And Hove Actually]) treats this issue or our determination to tackle this problem. The Advisory Service for Squatters has already published guidance for squatters under existing legislation (the excellent Squatters Handbook).

We will keep on squatting the empties.

The Squatters Network of Brighton [And Hove Actually])

With many thanks to Little Lord Crispin ‘Let’s Be’ Blunt’s Foreword to ‘Options for dealing with squatting’ A

An abandoned shop front in Churchill Square, Brighton’s biggest shopping centre, has been occupied in solidarity with striking public sector workers.

The building had been empty since August 2010 and the occupiers are already making repairs in order to rescue the building from dilapidation.
The space will be used to form links between the striking public sector workers and other members of the public who are affected by the government’s public sector cuts, such as students, benefits claimants and private sector workers.

Starting June 30th, the day of the strikes, the space will be open in the daytime and used as a place for people opposed to the cuts in general to meet one another, drink tea, and find out about anti-cuts actions.
At 6pm everyday there will be an Anti-Cuts Forum, a public meeting open to all to participate. From 8pm until the space closes at night there will be film screenings and acoustic music.

Drugs such as Alcohol, Nicotine and Ketamine are strictly forbidden in the space, along with all forms of oppressive behaviour such as Racism, Sexism and Homophobia.
The space is non-party political and is open to anyone opposed to the government’s public sector cuts is welcome to the space at 29 Western Rd, Brighton, on the corner of Churchill square.

All enquiries to 07563696458.

Yes, a zine that does what the title says.

As part of an ongoing radical history project and in response to the ridiculous proposals to criminalise squatting (go tories go!), using space five is devoted to a brief and incomplete history of squatting in brighton, uk. This is a special version with reduced size fotos, so as to lessen the file size (still more than 8mg).

You can download it from Northern Indymedia.

This is a call for texts and photographs!

Squatting is a tool, a movement, a right. Many vectors of existence coincide in occupation. It is residential, it is resistance, it is preservation, it is political, it is celebratory. There are as many reasons for squatting as there are squatters. And we estimate there to be thousands of squatters in the UK.

As an antidote to the recent smear campaign about squatting in the rightwing mainstream media and more importantly, because we need to have self-reflection and historification within the squatting movement itself (whatever that might mean to you), we are looking for writings on UK-based squatting.

Right now the remit is open. Send us your positive stories about squatting or things inspired by squatting. They can be any length. They could for example be reports from a project / an area’s history / an academic account. Pictorial stuff – photographs / plans / cartoons / art – are more than welcome too. We can publish what we receive online and then hopefully collate the contributions into a pamphlet or book.

Inspirations for us include:

• Witboek Kraken
• Squatters Handbook
• Cracking the System
• Cracking the Movement
• Social centre stories
  (yes, most of these centres are not squatted, but there are still many links)
• Squatting the Real Story.
  Chapters available here and here

Please send submissions to snobaha AT gmail … COM

Up the squatters!

Oh yeah we like to twat now and then – http://twitter.com/#!/SNOBaha