Author Archives: jm

SQUASH NewsRound: April – June 2013

Stories in this Issue: Will there be Further Criminanlistion?; Open House 2013; Let Down Housing Demo and the Right to Protest; Violent Attacks on the Homeless; London Fire Brigade Used for BackDoor Evictions; International Solidarity: Holland

Criminalising squatting, empty homes and property guardianship

Despite a lack of direct legislative support, property guardianship has grown sharply in the last 5 years, so that now there are at least nineteen different property guardian companies offering their services to private landlords and local authorities, with the major active players the Dutch companies Camelot and Ad Hoc. Guardian companies can set restrictive limitations on licensees, such as that they are not allowed to have children, be unemployed, become ‘intentionally’ unemployed, or in receipt of state benefit, and screen applicants for those who are “deserving” rather than in need. Property guardianship crosses boundaries between housing, employment and prison; it is a scam of epic proportion.

SQUASH NewsRound: Mid-January 2013

The NewsRound will be a fortnightly to monthly post, keeping tabs on articles being posted in MainStream Media (MSM) sources, as well as independent channels (eg IMC, SchNEWS) about squatting, the new law (s.144) and possible new legislation (eg commercial). For the Period: 1st January – 5th February 2013. Contains: Early Day Motion 192, Repeal s144 LASPO Petition, Friern Barnet Library Saved Thanks to Squatting, Curtailing Freedom of Information by Criminalising Squatting, Another Arrest, Attack of the Media Whores, Greece: The Attack on Greek Squats [Villa Amalias et al], Brazil: “This fight will not be done for you, it will be done by you.” , Ireland: “Squatter told he can stay in NAMA ghost estate home”, Lambeth Super Co-op, Property Guardianship company Ad Hoc in Cardiff, Haringey Housing Public Event and Freedom Bookshop Firebombed.

SQUASH NewsRound: January 2013

The NewsRound will be a fortnightly to monthly post, keeping tabs on articles being posted in MainStream Media sources, as well as independent channels about squatting, the new law and possible new legislation. For the Period: 23rd November 2012 – 15th January 2013. Contains: Raids on Squat in Vauxhall, Resistance at Camden Garden Centre, Arrests in Leicester and Brighton, Spanish Locksmiths go on strike, Tory attempts to criminalise commercial, Adrian Nettleton’s Occupy and Explore exhibition, Heygate Estate planning committee meeting, and demonstration at City Hall to demand fair rents.

The Friern Barnet Library gets Six Weeks before Eviction

Friern Barnet library was opened up by squatters and the community in September this year. The People’s Library now faces eviction, which could be as soon as six weeks from now.

SQUASH NewsRound: December 2012

The newsround is a fortnightly update, keeping tabs on articles being posted in mainstream media sources, as well as independent channels about squatting, the new law and possible new legislation. For the Period: 21st November – 15th December 2012. Contains the following stories: Madeley Meets the Squatters (ITV), Guardian article on Grow Heathrow and global squatting, Gremlins take on Keylet Properties, Property Guardians Camelot et al and their dodgy license agreements, demonstration outside Foxtons letting agents and against UCL sell off of the Carpenter Estate.