By Alessio Kolioulis (@alessioilgreco) and Rahel Süß (@RahelSuess) When Universities in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Manchester reported more than 1,000 COVID-19 cases last week, students started questioning why halls were allowed to reopen in the first place. With Health Secretary Matt Hancock not ruling out that students may remain in halls throughout the Christmas break, …
By the Greater Manchester Tenants Union (@gmtenantsunion) formally Tenants Union UK (@tenantsunionuk) Tenants Union UK is changing. From this autumn we will be focussing our organisational efforts on housing issues in Greater Manchester. We will work to strengthen and grow our branches across the city-region, and we’ll be relaunching to reflect this: welcome the …
By Greater Manchester Against Evictions Today the eviction ban that was brought in as the pandemic broke in March, finally ended. Initially brought in for 3 months, it was extended twice due to pressure from the organised renters movement. In the last month, the government has used the time to make some changes …
By Amanda Wait On a clear day, an investor buying into Manchester’s booming penthouse lifestyle could look out and survey the magnificent view from their floor to ceiling window. As the city stretches out before them, they might just spot in the far distance a matrix of circles and crescents, hubs and spokes, all …
By Tina Cribbin (@tinacribbin) Greetings from Hulme. Apparently we are part of Manchester’s “donut of deprivation” or so says Tim Heatley. Yes, the hand-in-glove mate of the lord mayors of Manchester and Salford and those sellers of souls at Manchester City Council. First let me start by saying that the so-called “donut of …
By GMHA (@gmhousingaction) Dear Councillors of the Planning Committee After last month’s welcome scrutiny by the planning committee toward the co-living applications we are writing to you again to reiterate our opposition to this type of housing development in the city. It is imperative that these attempts to extract as much profit as …
By Tenants Union (@tenantsunionuk) and GMHA (@gmhousingaction) Across Manchester, housing that once provided homes for permanent residents is being transformed into accommodation for short stays for those visiting the city. The number of entire houses let on Airbnb, where the host is absent, has trebled across Manchester over the past 4 years from 357 …
By James Doheny (@jamesdoheny) Tens of thousands of tenants across Greater Manchester at risk of losing their homes during the Covid-19 crisis, once the ban on evictions is raised on 23 August. Tenants Union UK, ACORN Manchester and the Greater Manchester Law Centre are joining forces to offer training and information to help renters …
By GMHA (@gmhousingaction) After months of freezing the democratic running of the Planning Committee (supposedly due to Covid-19 but perhaps an opportunistic Executive looking to get previously rejected schemes passed without scrutiny is a better explanation), there is a full meeting on July 30th — this Thursday. Faced with a wave of new proposals, the …
By Isaac Rose (@_isaacrose) and Siobhan Donnachie (@siobhan_e_d) Last Friday, over fifty Dorchester Court residents staged a protest outside their millionaire landlord’s offices in Waterloo, demanding: no evictions, essential repairs and rent reductions. Their action, which has been accompanied by collective rent strikes during the pandemic, is part of a wave of mobilisations globally that …
