Call for Housing Action Day 2022 – March 26 and 27 – For the fourth time in a row, we are calling on everyone to participate in Housing Action Day. we, the European Action Coalition for the Right to Housing and the City (EAC), are a network of 31 grassroots organizations from 19 European countries founded in 2013, of which the BPW is a part.
Action in Amsterdam
BPW Amsterdam is organizing a fun action during HAD 2022. Scroll down or click on the button for more info!
Action in Rotterdam
BPW Rotterdam will take up vacancy on Housing Action Day. Click on the button for more info!
HAD 2021
During the Housing Action Day 2021, 75 actions took place in 68 cities. Despite the pandemic and lockdown measures, a European grassroots movement managed to convey its legitimate demands for the right to housing and the city.
Housing is central to all contemporary social issues. It touches on issues of public health, climate change, racism, classism and gender inequality. The same applies to the right to public space in cities and rural areas.
Expropriate property owners
In recent years, social movements for the right to housing, the city and land have put democratic decision-making at the center of issues of accessibility and the transformation of shared spaces. These movements have organized themselves in a wide variety of forms of action and have had several successes. The strong demand from Berliners to expropriate large commercial property owners, socialize their housing stock and fight financialization is a good example of this.
Homes for people, not for profit!
However, as social divisions grow and redistribution increases from the bottom up, people suffer from cuts in their income and are deprived of opportunities for decent work in good conditions. Living costs continue to increase unabated, as do energy costs. Rent and purchase prices are rising and an adequate political response is not forthcoming. Human dignity is under severe pressure as a result of massive privatizations carried out under the neoliberal policies of the past decades. All over Europe, governments continue to place investor profits above basic human rights. We can't keep quiet any longer!
#Sstay home?
The pandemic has worsened the situation. The #stayhome campaign has exposed a level of cynicism that is hard to accept. The symptoms of this crisis and the focus of our struggle may vary by region, but the causes are the same: it's private property, it's a politics infiltrated by lobbyists, it's growing inequality. In short, it's capitalism. 2021 was another year of evictions of tenants and owners, of rising housing costs and gentrification, of growing homelessness and homelessness, of marginalization of racialized and low-income people, of privatization, of land-grabbing, of destruction of alternative lifestyles , of displacement of indigenous communities, and of dull urbanism in favor of capital.
Evictions and evictions
March 31 marks the end of the winter break on evictions in several European countries. This year this day coincides with a possible eviction of the Collectif Zone Neutre Occupation KBC, which is housed in an occupied bank building a few hundred meters from the European Quarter in Brussels. The Collectif Zone Neutre Occupation KBC houses around 200 people who find themselves in different but equally precarious legal circumstances and who are fighting for their right to housing, work and residence in Belgium. This case illustrates the current state of affairs by linking the struggle for the right to freedom of movement and the right to residency. We strongly condemn the planned eviction and stand in full solidarity with the collective. In the shadow of the emerging extreme right movements worldwide, we must unite with everyone in the fight against all forms of structural injustice.
We demand:
– A variety of alternative forms of housing withdrawn from the market to enable a world without evictions
– A socialized ownership of land and housing
– Reclaiming vacant buildings and eliminating homelessness
– The means to build high-quality, climate-neutral homes that belong to people and not the emerging 'green' industry
– A radical practice of urban planning organized from the bottom up, without unnecessary demolition.
– An unlimited right to freedom of movement, housing and public space.
We demand the systemic changes to make this happen!
Join the Housing Action Day 26 and 27 March 2022 and let us know our demands!
Action in Amsterdam on March 26th
BPW Amsterdam is organizing a fun promotion at the Stopera on March 26, in the context of International Housing Action Day 2022. Join us and come to the Stopera on Saturday the 26th!
Housewarming
For the Stopera
March 26, 2022
14:00u
Housewarming Invitation
We are Julia and Liza, born and raised in Amsterdam. We would prefer to live in this beautiful city for the rest of our lives, but unfortunately it is impossible to find an affordable home in Amsterdam. Almost impossible, because after a long search we finally managed to find something that we can afford; a beautiful parking lot! That should of course be celebrated! We would like to welcome you to the housewarming of our new, cozy place. Make yourself at home!
Stop the urgent housing shortage!
The skyrocketing house prices do not only concern us, tens of thousands of Amsterdammers are affected. That is why we will draw attention to the urgent housing shortage on 26 March during the international housing action day. Rising house prices mean that people with low and middle incomes can no longer afford to live in Amsterdam. This while we make an essential contribution to the city. From politicians we only hear "build, build, build", but realizing homes takes years and many people can't wait for that.
That's why we demand:
1. TACKLE VACANCY – Vacant buildings must be occupied again as soon as possible via the municipality
2. GUARANTEE AFFORDABLE LIVING SPACE FOR EVERYONE – Regulate rental and purchase prices and ensure
permanent housing
3. AGAIN SPECULANTS AND INVESTORS FROM THE CITY – You invest at a stock exchange, not in our residential areas
Action in Rotterdam on March 26th
In the last year, housing shortage has been the topic of protests in the streets and debates in the city council. While over 13,500 social housing were demolished, the new more expensive housing remain 8.5% vacant. Additionally, the collective vacancy in office spaces and shops is over 20%.
Vacancy allows for speculation, predatory flex contracts and accelerates gentrification. Antikraak companies profit over the speculation and mismanagement of housing while exploiting the precarity of the tenants.
In the midst of a housing crisis, vacancy cannot be tolerated! For Housing Action Day 2022 we make vacancy visible! Tag empty properties in your neighborhood in our map!
Do you want to take action?
Organize yourself with the Bond Precaire Woonvorm, an association for anyone who rents temporarily, insecurely or too expensively and who wants to fight for housing security.
Support the fight for housing security!
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