Housing Action Group Tues 12-May-2015

HI all just a reminder that the housing action group is tomorrow from 12-2pm at Kingsgate community centre ,hope you can make it, look forward to seeing you all

Regards Samantha Lewis, Community Organiser at Kingsgate Community Centre 

Dude Swheatie notes that Sam and the other Community Organisers at Kingsgate are coming to close of initial one-year contract. So this is partly a time of review as well as 'what next?'

KUWG and others vs Jess' eviction

Jess with defiant throng outside her flat in December 2014

Jess reports on the anti-eviction event at Gloucester House on the South Kilburn Estate and Brent Housing Partnership's response:

I got help to stay in my home from Community Organisers and the KUWG group in NW6 when last December Brent Housing Partnership staff came to evict me with a Bailiff. We resisted the eviction by standing in front of the door. By doing this I was able to peacefully defend my right to housing.

At a recent meeting with Brent Housing Partnershiip I was told they will be using other methods to remove me next time.

"It strikes me that a way of looking at the criminalising of subletting of council flats is that it deflects attention away from Parliament's abnegation of the responsibility to invest in house building while taxpayer-funded 'Right-to-Buy' legislation has depleted the housing stock far more than subletting has ever done.

"And on 7 May 2015 there is a UK General Election in which such housing and homelessness realities should be highlighted."

— Alan Wheatley, from KUWG

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THAG (The Housing Action Group)

The Housing Action Group meets at Kingsgate Community Centre, 107 Kingsgate Road on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month, organised by the Community Organisers at Kingsgate.

Adopting similar structure to KUWG meetings, THAG focuses of course on people's housing issues starting with the casework that they bring. Got a housing proble? Bring it to THAG! The next meeting will be on Tuesday 14 April from 12 Noon to 2pm.

Meet in August to address the Housing Crisis in Kilburn and London

A daytime strategy meeting to address the Housing Crisis in Kilburn and London

Called for by Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group

Supported by KUWG, Unite Community membership, and Community Organisers.

Everyone is now aware of the dceepening crisis in Housing in London and its impact on local residents and ourcommunities. Over the last two years the Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group has been dealing with — and campaigning on — more and more housing cases in the wider area.

We want to bring together people from across our community for a more united and sustainable response:

• Individuals (especially those with housing problems)
• Tenants and Residents Associations
• Housing and advice workers
• School, community and council rerpresentatives
• Trade Unions and political organisations.

We want to hold an inclusive, participatory strategy meeting so we can begin to:

• share experiences about the housing challenges faced by people in Kilburn and build connections
• help each other cope and find solutions; make our voices heard
• develop and campaign collectively around policies which would begin to meet real housing needs in the area

WE HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND AND PUBLICISE THIS MEETING TO OTHERS WHO MAY WANT TO BE INVOLVED:
11AM-1PM, WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 2014 @ CASA LATINA

Priory House, 10 Kingsgate Place, London NW6 4TA

(Some of) what's happening now:

• .... Housing insecurity and homelessness; inflated rents and house prices; huge shortage of social housing; overcrowding, disrepair, evictions... displacement
• ... reduction in the Local Housing Allowance (housing benefit for private accommodation), the benefit cap, 'Bedroom Tax', charging Council Tax on Benefits, "Affordable" rent being defined as 80% of the market rate [on a London that is becoming a global billionaires' Monopoly board], spike in benefit sanctions...
• ... Cuts to legal aid, advice, support and language services; no security of tenure in private and social housing; exploitation, bully and victimisation, ...
• ... Low pay and 'zero hour contracts', rogue landlords, loan sharks...

 KUWG is part of the Unite Community and the London Coalition Against Poverty and campaigns with Social Work Action Network, Brent Housing Action, Housing 4 All, and the London Radical Housing Network.