(By signatory groups and individuals, translation globalinfo, those donors searches)

The growing housing problems in European cities are an important part of the overall EU crisis. The EU treaties guarantee the free movement of capital (Articles 26 and 63 TFEU), the free competition of companies (Article 107 TFEU) and the limitation of public budgets (Stability and Growth Pact, European Fiscal Compact (European Fiscal Compact)).

Without a strong social counterpart, these constitutional principles protect and promote the misuse of property to create globally traded financial assets.

However, housing is a basic need for everyone and thus a human right that is protected by international law. To the extent that the treatment of houses as financial assets threatens affordability, accessibility, security of tenure, adequacy or habitability, EU Member States have a moral and legal obligation to regulate and socialize real estate for the benefit of residents. If the EU framework prohibits such social regulation, it becomes an institutional challenge to human rights. We want the opposite. We want the EU to become an internal and external stimulator, promoter and guarantor for every person's right to a safe, decent and affordable place to live.

Many people in Europe have endured the systematic abuse of land, homes, infrastructure and budgets for the growth of private profits, while those who have taken up social action to protect the right to housing have been on the defensive. However, there are hopeful examples of successful emancipatory struggles by citizens for radical social changes in the housing system. In Berlin, for example, a popular grassroots initiative is currently launching a referendum for the expropriation of houses owned by owners who own more than 3,000 apartments and for the socialization of their property in democratic public initiatives. But this battle cannot be won as long as it remains fragmented and waged only at local and regional levels.

The housing crisis will never be overcome unless the following policy changes are made:

1. 1. Adopting the international right to housing as a fundamental duty of all EU institutions, Member States and businesses and implementing this fundamental human right in the form of a European housing strategy.
2. Allowing, guaranteeing and supporting publicly regulated segments of democratic non-profit housing for broad sections of the population outside EU competition rules and financial capital flows.
3. An EU framework that encourages and supports strict social regulation of for-profit private homeowners, commercial rents, commercial land trading, mortgages, transparency, facility services and the consequences of mortgage default.
4. Protect, encourage and support the involvement and organization of tenants and other residents for their rights and the necessary structural changes in housing, land and real estate.

Support the decentralized European Housing Action Day “Together against evictions and #Mietenwahnsinn” on April 6, 2019!

First signatories:

Bond Precarious Housing Forms and global info (The Netherlands), MieterInnenverein Witten (Tenant Union Witten, Germany), Habitat! (Portugal),  Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt (CADTM, Belgium), Union Antiauctions Initiative and Stop Auctions (Greece)

We are working on an expanded version of this call with one page of concrete requirements and an explanation page for each of points 1-4.

If you would like to support this first call and participate in the discussion, please add your signature and contact details, via the comments on this page or by responding to eu2019 reclaiming-spaces.org

CALL: Socialize Housing across Europe!

By undersigning groups and persons.

The worsening housing problems in European cities are an important part of the general EU crisis. The EU treaties guarantee the free movement of capital (Art. 26 & 63 TFEU), the free competition of undertakings (Art. 107 TFEU) and the restriction of public budgets (Stability and Growth Pact, European Fiscal Compact).

Without a strong social counterpart, these constitutional principles protect and promote the abuse of property for the construction of globally traded financial assets.

Housing, however, is a basic need for everybody and thus a human right that is protected by international law. As far as the treatment of houses as financial assets threatens its affordability, accessibility, security of tenure, adequacy or habitability, the EU-member states are morally and legally obliged to control and socialize property for the benefits of their people. If the framework of the EU prohibits such social regulating, it becomes an institutional challenge to human rights. We want the opposite. We want the EU to become an internal and external stimulator, promoter and guarantor of the right of every person to have a secure, decent and affordable place to live.

For too long many people in Europe have endured the systematic abuse of land, homes, infrastructures and budgets for the increase of private profits, whilst those engaging in social action to protect the right to housing have found themselves on the defensive. There are hopeful examples, however, of successful emancipatory popular struggles for radical social changes in the housing system. In Berlin, for instance, a popular grassroots initiative is currently initiating a referendum for the expropriation of houses owned by landlords who own more than 3,000 apartments and the socialization of their properties into democratic public entities. But the struggle cannot be won as long as it remains fragmented and only reduced to local and regional levels.

The housing crisis will never be overcome, unless the following policy changes are made:

1. The adoption of the international right to housing as a fundamental duty of all EU institutions, member states and business and the concrete implementation of this basic human right in the form of a European housing strategy.
2. Allowing, guaranteeing and supporting publicly regulated segments of democratic not-for-profit housing for broad strata of the population outside EU competition rules and financial capital flows.
3. An EU-framework that allows, encourages and supports the strict social regulation of profit-oriented private landlords, market rents, land markets, mortgages, transparency, facility services and the consequences of mortgage default.
4. Protecting, encouraging and supporting the engagement and organization of tenants and other inhabitants for their rights and the needed structural changes in housing, land and real estate.

Support the decentralized European Housing Action Day “Together against displacement and #Mietenwahnsinn” on April 6, 2019!

First signatories:

Bond Precarious Housing Forms and global info (Netherlands), MieterInnenverein Witten (Tenant Union Witten, Germany), Habitat! (Portugal),  Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt (CADTM, Belgium), Union Antiauctions Initiative and Stop Auctions (Greece)

We are working on an extended version which will include one page with concrete demands and explanations for each of the points 1-4.

If you want to support this initial call and participate in the discussion please add your signature and contact, by using the comment function or by replying to eu2019 reclaiming-spaces.org