There are over 70,000 empty properties in the UK: so why is there homelessness?Justice Not Crisis have recently occupied properties owned by the famous Edgbaston Cricket Ground on Pershore Road and are ready to turn one of them into a Social Centre. They are in the middle of a legal wrangle with the WCCC at the moment over temporary tenancy and are willing to negotiate if only the WCCC would follow suit.
Social Centre's are a popular way of collectivising social action in continental Europe (especially Italy) but not so much in the UK.
Examples include The Square (now evicted from a £4m property in Russel Square); The Rampart; Common Place.
The Rampart is squatted and still faces challenges from absentee landordism but the Common Place in Leeds is a rented property so faces a whole other set of challenges.
Is there an empty property near you? Perhaps a social centre that you can support? It's usually possible to find out about these through Critical Mass or Indymedia.
Image: the rampart, East London.
