Brent Renters Union Community Meeting on Saturday November 2nd at MENCAP - 12-4pm

 

 

Full meeting on Sat 2 Nov, 12-4pm Willesden NW10 2JR Renters, tenants join us! 

 

New members always welcome.

Protesters say loud and clear, 'We want truly affordable housing here!' The housing crisis comes to Quintain and Brent Council amidst Wembley Park's luxury high-rise blocks

 

Campaigners outside the Brent Civic Centre chant, 'We are the waiting list.'

Brent Renters Union held a march (which involved a bit of a teach-in using the local high rises as a visual aid) and protested outside Quintain Living and Brent Council today. Under the slogan, 'We can't afford the rent in Brent!' they drew attention to the lack of affordable public housing in Wembley Park despite the thousands of units built by Quintain, the US based developer.

They called for affordable homes, rent controls and more social housing as they stood amidst the glossy high rises. The flats were in stark contrast to the photographs some of the protesters showed me of cockroach, flies, bed bugs and vermin infested temporary homes and poorly maintainance of those managed by NottingHillGenesis.

 

 

One mother pointed to the bites on her son's arms and face and said that he was ashamed to go go school among his clear-skinned class mates. 'He is not well,' she sighed, saying that he was also suffering from asthma.

The Union had written a letter outlining their demands to Quintain Living but found the doors locked against them. They managed to slip the letter through the narrow gaps between the doors where it just lay on the floor. 

Very symbolic.

 

Miss Mohamud, of the Brent Branch of the London Renters Union, gave Wembley Matters an eloquent interview about the issues renters face.

 

The march finished with a protest outside Brent Civic Centre with the longest banner seen in any demonstration there! The demonstration was peaceful with an underlying anger about injustice and a resolute determination to bring about change. Many of the councillors were away, including several, including Council leader Muhammed Butt, at a wedding in Pakistan but one councillor came out and spoke to the demonstrators. 

A young woman from a homeless family in temporary accommodation made a passionate speech.

📢 "Landlords are profiting off of our problems!"

💥 Last week, renters in Brent took to the streets to demand affordable homes.

📈 We're sick of seeing new expensive flats that price ordinary people out. We need social homes for families and rent controls now. pic.twitter.com/AhEl3xPpv1

— London Renters Union (@LDNRentersUnion) October 29, 2024

 

 

 

Brent Renters Union can be contacted at brent@londonrentersunion.org 

07521 758 523 Twitter: @brentrenters 

LONDONRENTERSUNION.ORG/JOIN

 

Their next Brent Community Meeting is on Saturday November 2nd 12-4pm at Mencap, 379 High Road, NW10 2JR

'We can't afford the rent in Brent' : Brent Renters Union to protest over lack of social housing and unaffordable private flats in Wembley Park

 

'Not ANOTHER winter with damp and mould' - Brent Renters negotiate with Brent Council on Saturday 30th September 10.30pm to 1pm

 The Brent branch of the London Renters Union are meeting with Muhammed Butt, leader Brent Council, and Cllr Promise Knight, the Cabinet lead on housing on Saturday.

The aim is to negotiate action on the pressing problem of mould, damp and other health issues in private housing,

The group have produced a powerful video that shows how renters are suffering at present. LINK

The campaign is pushing for Brent Council to take much stronger enforcement action against landlords who are breaking the law. They don't think renters should be paying upwards of £2,000 a month to get asthma and other chronic health conditions.

Brent Renters urge the public to sign their petition HERE that states:

BRENT COUNCIL: Not another winter with damp and mould

 More than 10,000 private rented homes in Brent have a serious health hazard. Damp and mould are making us sick, leading to asthma, respiratory issues, skin conditions, and  mould poisoning. 

Our children’s health is in crisis because landlords are being allowed to get away with not keeping our homes safe. Damp and mould mean people can’t use some rooms, and are overcrowded in the others. This meant that Church End had the highest Covid death rate in the country. 

Brent council has a legal duty to make sure our homes are safe but their current plan isn’t good enough. In the areas of Brent where housing is most dangerous, they’re only promising to deal with 10% of the most serious problems this year. What about the other 90% of renters left with unsafe homes?

It doesn’t have to be like this. Members of the London Renters Union in Brent have come together to create an action plan for how the council can hold landlords accountable and keep us safe. Add your name to our campaign. Together we can win safer homes for everyone. 

If you are part of an organisation, please ask them to support the campaign by sharing this petition, and by signing the open letter here.

For background info, see our factsheet here

 

 

 

Brent Renters Picnic in Roundwood Park on Saturday August 12th 12 noon

 

Calling local campaigns - zoom meeting with Brent Fights Back! Tomorrow 7pm

 From Brent Fights Back

We are relaunching Brent Fights Back tomorrow Tuesday Jily 18th at an online meeting at 7pm.  Hope you can join us.

Below is our new leaflet, with our aims.  

We'd like to hear from local organisations - what you're doing and how working with other groups might help.  

We'll be maintaining an online calendar to publicise local actions and events, meetings, pickets, demos etc.

Program for Tuesday 18^th July

Zoom link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85444498096

• Welcome by Pete Firmin, Chair of Brent Fights Back 
• Speakers (5 mins each): 
  
• Unite St Mungo’s rep about their current strike 
• Adam Bulewski 
• Brent Renters Union and the “Not another winter” campaign 
• Jack Ainsworth 
• Equalities Trust and how they support local organisations 
• Rob Donnelly 
• Brent Fights Back - current work + aims 
• Elaine Shepherd 
  
   
  
• Discussion:   Ideas and suggestions how we can work together to support one another's campaigns.

We will be meeting online on the 3^rd Tuesday of each month from now on.

 

 

Community Action: Brent Fights Back Tuesday July 18th