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Housing Emergency lobby of Parliament 15 February

<strong><span class="has-inline-color has-accent-color">Steve Hilditch</span></strong>
Steve Hilditch

Founder of Red Brick. Former Head of Policy for Shelter. Select Committee Advisor for Housing and Homelessness. Drafted the first London Mayor’s Housing Strategy under Ken Livingstone. Steve sits on the Editorial Panel of Red Brick.

Housing Emergency is holding a lobby of Parliament on 15 February.  The meeting point is Central Hall Westminster (Storey’s Gate SW1H 9NH) from 12-4pm. 

The group includes the House of Commons Council Housing Group chaired by Austin Mitchell MP, trades unions such as Unite, GMB, UNISON, and UCATT, councils, tenants’ federations, National Tenants Council members, and Defend Council Housing.

There will be a rally starting at noon with speakers including Caroline Lucas MP, Councillor Catherine West (Leader Islington Council), Labour Housing Group Executive member Jackie Peacock, Linda McNeil (Leeds Tenants Federation), Mark Serwotka (PCS General Secretary).  There will be workshops including ‘what to say to your MP’ at 2pm and a closing rally at 3.30.

The themes of the rally are: *Hands Off Secure Tenancies – no means test  *Cap Rents not Benefits  *Oppose up to 80% market rents  *No Evictions due to Housing Benefit cuts  *Build Council and other housing for rent

Housing Emergency says

“Government proposals to cut housing benefit, force rents up to 80% of market levels, and remove security of tenure for new tenants will increase fear and insecurity, rent arrears, evictions and homelessness.  These policies do nothing to reduce high rents, Nor do they build the secure, genuinely affordable homes for rent we need, with 5 million already on housing waiting lists.

Ministers want to drive people into insecure, expensive private renting and destroy the principles of public housing.  We want secure and stable mixed communities – not poverty traps and transit camps.”

The leaflet for the rally can be downloaded here.  

Further information: [email protected] or [email protected]