Monthly Archives: August 2012

Updated advice from the Advisory Service for Squatters

If you are currently squatting, or believe you may otherwise be affected by the new laws, we recommend that you read the following advice and resources from the Advisory Service for Squatters.

Criminalising squatting hurts the poor and benefits the rich

From Saturday, a massively unjust, unnecessary and unaffordable new law will come into force in England and Wales. In the middle of one of the worst housing crises this country has ever seen, up to 50,000 squatters who are currently squatting in empty properties across the UK face becoming criminals, and this because they are occupying abandoned residential properties to put a roof over their heads.

This post is cross-posted from the Guardian blog.

Squatting law to commence 1st September

We have just received verification that the new law, criminalising squatting in residential properties will come into effect on September 1st 2012. You can see the commencement order on the government’s website [here](http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1956/made) From the ASS website: *Not everyone who is squatting, or considered by others to be squatting, will be affected by the new law, but people will need to be prepared to explain, quite forcefully at times, why they are not affected.* *The wording of S144 starts: (1)A person commits an offence if— (a) the person is in a residential building as a trespasser having entered it as […]