Open House begins this weekend in London

From Sunday 12 May to Sunday 19 May at a location to be revealed, people involved in a range of housing struggles will come together at Open House. Council tenants facing the bedroom tax, squatters threatened with eviction, private renters dealing with dodgy landlords and members of housing co-ops fighting to survive, are all welcome.

As we explored in our latest issue, the housing crisis affects all of us. The bedroom tax and housing benefit caps are starting to bite, squatting derelict buildings is being criminalised, the rents are rising exponentially, and many people are being forced from their homes by landlords, local councils, bailiffs and police.

Red Pepper's latest mythbuster offers some 'home truths' about the reality behind the housing crisis and helps counter some of the common right-wing myths.

We can no longer afford for housing to be an individual problem. Open House will be a space to come together to organise around our collective housing needs, share stories and tactics. The aim is to build a movement of practical solidarity to resist social cleansing and gentrification, and reclaim housing and the city for the people who live in it.

There will be a programme of workshops, skillshares, talks and films based around three themes: housing; who owns the city (gentrification); and access to land. Drop by for a skillshare on legal observing, a workshop on how to set up a housing co-op, a Q&A session on tenants’ rights, a talk on gentrification, a game of capture the flag, or just for a cup of tea and a chat.

Find out more on the Open House website Or on Twitter: @OpenHouseLDN

If you're running a housing event in another part of the UK let us know and we'll be happy to support as best we can, email jenny@redpepper.org.uk