- SUNDAY SAW THE LAUNCH OF THE FIRST CARDIFF BRANCH OF THE COMMUNITY ORGANISATION ACORN, WHOSE MEMBERS CAMPAIGN AND TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT TENANTS’ RIGHTS.
- THE LAUNCH WAS FOLLOWED BY A DEMONSTRATION ON MONDAY MORNING AGAINST EVICTIONS AND HOMELESSNESS AS PART OF THE ORGANISATION’S NATIONWIDE DAY OF ACTION ACROSS SIXTEEN CITIES IN THE UK, PART OF THEIR HOUSING IS HEALTH CAMPAIGN.
Launched in a public online meeting, the Cardiff branch joins Ceredigion’s as the second in Wales. There are already 14 branches in England including in Sheffield, Newcastle, Brighton and Bristol, where the union has successfully organised to stop illegal evictions.
Banners bearing the campaign demand “No Rent Debt” and the hashtag #HousingIsHealth were displayed in Bute Park by a handful of Cardiff-based Acorn members. “We’re saying NO to homelessness & rent debt during the Coronavirus crisis!” the group’s Twitter account said.
The day of action on Monday marked the final month before people could be vulnerable to eviction. As reported on this site earlier this month, the Welsh Labour Government adopted the same legislation as Westminster on 24 March, with the eviction notice period only changing from two months to three. This ‘freeze’ on evictions has never equated to protection for renters from eviction notices being served, and even falls short of official Labour party policy.
ACORN was founded in Bristol in 2014, with the intention to build community organisation along the same lines as a trade union for workers. The union’s work has focused on protecting tenants from landlords who are abusing their power, as well as workers, residents and low-income groups more widely. Renters organise themselves into branches like the newly formed one in Cardiff and elect their own leadership.
ACORN’s previous campaigns and actions have led to valuable achievements for working class communities, including scrapping no fault evictions, preventing individual evictions, improved building safety, increased landlord regulation, opposing development and preventing council tax increases. Their campaigns have forced landlords, councils, developers and banks to back down.
Many renters across Wales are struggling with their income and rent payments, and accruing debt on their tenancies. The Welsh Government’s weak legislation and lack of protection from landlords means tenants are often left with no voice or real representation. In Cardiff, issues of homelessness, development of unaffordable accommodation as well as soaring rents means ACORN could make a real impact on the capital and its growing population of renters.
You can join ACORN here https://acorntheunion.org.uk/join/
