Sat 16th March: Decent Homes For All Event – Action and Information for Haringey tenants

In opposition to Government cuts to housing rights and benefits

WE DEMAND SECURE, AFFORDABLE, LOCAL DECENT HOMES FOR ALL

Public event for Haringey residents

WOOD GREEN LIBRARY
Wood Green High Road, N22

Saturday March 16th
2pm – 4.30pm

Download Poster Here
Download Leaflet Here

Information stalls * Know-your-rights sessions * Discussions about what can be done
Come and find out about your rights and what you can do to stand up for decent homes for all

Includes refreshments and a small toddlers play area. All tenants, mortgage-payers and homeless people welcome
Bun venit * Bienvenue * Powitanie * Boas-vindas * bakherben * Hos Geldiniz * Kuwakaribisha * Soo dhawoow

Calling all Haringey residents

·         Is your rent too high?
·         Do you get enough Housing Benefit?
·         Is your tenancy secure?
·         Want to see affordable housing for everyone, and rent-reductions for those unable to pay?

Why not come along to this public event?!

ORGANISED BY AND FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS
Supported by Haringey Housing Action Group, Haringey Defend Council Housing, Haringey Federation of Residents Associations, Haringey Private Tenants Group, Haringey Solidarity Group, Day-Mer, Taxpayers Against Poverty, Haringey UNISON, Haringey Trades Union Council, Haringey Alliance for Public Services

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS?
Everyone should be entitled to a decent, affordable, secure and local home.  Instead the Government has cut the level of housing benefits.  They are also pushing Councils to undermine access to Council housing, and to water down tenants’ rights. Greedy landlords are allowed to charge ludicrously-high rents, to discriminate against people on benefits, to refuse to offer secure tenancies, and to regularly threaten to evict people from their homes. House prices and mortgages are unaffordable to most people, and even homeowners are struggling to pay their bills. This is all totally unacceptable.

WHAT CAN WE ALL DO?
Use what you can to defend yourself! Get advice. Know your rights. Log all contacts with landlords/council etc, keep all official letters, take a friend to any official meetings. Link up with others in same boat – get support from other tenants, neighbours, residents’ groups & housing campaigners. Speak out and fight back. Together we’re powerful. Previous generations fought for housing rights, and tens of millions of ordinary people benefited. Now we have to do the same.

PRIVATE RENTING?
Secure Tenancies for all   Until 1988 most tenancies were secure / long term and rents were capped by law at affordable levels. We can all be demanding this now.
Bring rents down   A tenant who cannot afford the rent can try to negotiate a reduction.   Contact the Council’s Housing Advice Team – they have negotiated lower rents with many landlords.
No to discrimination   Outrageous signs like ‘No DSS’ (people on benefits) must be challenged. Such discrimination must be banned, just like racism and sexism. And Letting Agents fees should be scrapped.
Resist evictions   If a landlord wants to evict they must first issue a valid Notice To Quit – eg. It’s not valid if they’ve not put your deposit in an official protected scheme. Then they have to go to court. Get advice. If they evict illegally, or harass a tenant, it is a criminal offence. Some tenants are arguing in court that an eviction would infringe their legally-protected human rights to family life.
Take action together    Private Tenants are meeting – to give and receive advice and discuss action for the benefit of all Haringey renters – on
Wed 3rd April 6.30pm @ Cafe Life, North London Community House, 22 Moorefield Rd, N17

SOCIAL HOUSING AND COUNCIL TENANTS?
Benefits must cover all costs   No to new ‘Bedroom tax’ cuts, caps on Housing Benefits, and the introduction in April of inadequate Universal Credit payments.
No to rent rises   Social housing is the only genuinely affordable housing and we must ensure rents are kept low.
Defend secure tenancies   All those in social housing are entitled to have long term secure tenancies. We must make sure these rights are not watered down.
Resist evictions   It should be a last resort for the Council or Housing Association  to try to evict you. They have to go to court, and the court should accept any reasonable offers to pay off a debt. Get advice. We support anyone resisting evictions or bailiffs due to inability to pay rents.
Take action together    Join or set up a Residents Association in your block/area. Haringey Defend Council Housing campaign promotes good quality Council housing for all who need it. Next meeting is Tues 26th March, 7pm @ Cafe Life, North London Community House, 22 Moorefield Rd, N17

STRUGGLING WITH MORTGAGE?
House prices and payments are ludicrously high. We should support anyone campaigning to keep their home.

HOMELESS?
Homes for all    Families and vulnerable people who don’t have their own place or are overcrowded should register as homeless. The Council may try to turn you away but you can stand up for your rights. Get advice. Many don’t qualify. It is unacceptable that anyone should be homeless. Unfortunately this is a basic right that we still have to fight for.
No buildings or homes to be left empty   They should be occupied by those who need them. It is legal to occupy non-residential properties.
All new homes to be affordable   All homes being built in new developments should be genuinely affordable for local people.
Take action together    Haringey Housing Action Group next meeting is 10am, on Fri 22nd March @ Cafe Life, North London Community House, Moorefield Rd, N17

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

SECURE, AFFORDABLE, DECENT, LOCAL
HOMES FOR ALL

We will discuss…

ADVISING AND SUPPORTING EACH OTHER

  • How can people struggling with housing problems find out their rights, and get together to support each other?
  • What rights do we have if we can’t pay / won’t pay high rents?
  • How can we support those of us defending their homes, and their right to a home, and oppose evictions?
  • What should the Council do to support tenants and the homeless?
  • Which local groups can people go to for advice, solidarity and campaigning?

CAMPAIGNING FOR CHANGE

  • What can we do to protest and resist Government attacks on our rights and benefits?
  • What pressure can be applied to make private landlords lower their rents? How can we reintroduce a maximum-rent level / rent-capping as existed up to 1988?
  • How can we outlaw discrimination by landlords against tenants on benefits?
  • What can be done in the long term to campaign for longer tenancies and security of tenure agreements?
  • How do we defend Council housing, and campaign for access to it for all who need it?

Let’s speak out, support each other, and organise to fight for our collective interests!

More info:
info@haringeyresidents.org
0208 216 9651
www.haringeyhousingaction.org.uk

February 23, 2013  Tags: ,   Posted in: LOCAL CAMPAIGNS, NEWS