21st – 23rd October, Olympia
Say No to MIPIM 2015, Say Yes to Housing Justice!
The Poverty Developers Are Back!
In 2014 a motley crew of private developers, speculators, councils and politicians met in London to carve -up and sell -off our city. But activists from housing campaigns, tenant organisations and trade unions were there to meet them. Our message was ‘Homes for Need not Greed!’ We made a big impact, with lots of news coverage, and we managed to close down their junket for a while. Twelve months later, the housing crisis has got worse and they’re coming back. We need to be there too!
What is MIPIM?
MIPIM (Le marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier) proudly describes itself as a gathering of ‘the most influential international property players, looking to close deals in the UK property market’.
Why Join the Protest?
We’re facing a major housing crisis. Rents and mortgages are out of control and there are five million people on council waiting lists. Public land that should be used to build the homes we need is being sold off or given to speculators at rock-bottom prices (public land worth £45million was given to Barratts for £5 by Barnet council without the knowledge of the council tenants living on it). Our neighbourhoods are under threat from estate demolitions and displacement. Entire communities are facing eviction. The wealthiest 1% – whose interests are represented at MIPIM – are profiting from the struggle of ordinary people to afford their basic housing needs, many of whom are now being made homeless as a direct result of the regeneration projects.
There are alternatives
We demand:
• No more sell offs or give aways of public land
• A national programme of council house building
• Rent control
• Equal rights for private renters
• Equal rights for housing association tenants
• Decriminalisation of squatting
What are we doing?
Public meeting: 6.30pm on Thurs 15 Oct at GMB, 22 Stephenson Way, NW1 2HD.
Speakers from the European housing crisis coalition, anti-MIPIM campaigners and other struggles for land and public infrastructure. Facebook event page here
Demo: 9am on Wed 21 Oct at Olympia, Hammersmith Road, W14 8UX.
Facebook event here.
See you there!