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satyricaSo, I appreciate that this may be a bit of a hard sell, but I'm pretty angry about the legislation currently being enacted to criminalise squatting. The first thing to say is that this doesn't really relate to the fact that I've enjoyed the odd squat party in my time, it's only squatting in residential properties that is currently being affected, so raves in abandoned warehouses are so far not the issue.
I guess there are several issues that make me angry about it: one is the way in which it's come about, legislation suddenly being produced and voted on within days of the 'consultation process' ending doesn't exactly inspire confidence in those of us that contributed to it that all the submissions were carefully considered. I'm also pretty galled at the influence the Evening Standard has had on public perception of the issue with its drip-feed of misleading articles giving an over-inflated impression of the scale of the problem as well as distorted understandings of the legalities of the issue (numerous articles of the 'sqauatters moved in when I popped down the shops and there was nothing I could do' variety, whilst in fact legal powers have existed for police to arrest people in that situation since the 70s)- a campaign masked as news, so reminiscent of their even more vicious smears against Ken before the last Mayoral election; I know several of you loathe the man, but the constant articles making accusations of corruption and alcoholism in the weeks leading up to the vote, all of which were quietly dropped as soon as it was all over, were a disgrace of voter-deception, whatever his political strengths and weaknesses.
But of course its mostly through the lens of my work that I'm most angered by this move. The Evening Standard may make a meal of idiot art collectives taking over mansions in Mayfair, and yes there are lifestyle squatters who fill empty property as a political act, but the majority of squatters I've known have been the ones who drift in and out of our services, who are one step away from sleeping on the street, who want to find a way to get away from the danger, the chaos and the cold of rough sleeping and give themselves enough stability to sort out their lives. On top of the Housing Benefit cuts, the attack on the security of social housing tenancies, the cuts to Local Authorities leading to hostel after hostel closing (granted, Mr. Shapps has recently announced money for hostels to ameliorate this but it's been to late to save many)- another measure likely to turf dozens, maybe hundreds, no-one seems to know, more people out onto the streets is the last thing we need.
What concerns me most of all, however, is the trend we're seeing towards criminalising the most vulnerable people in society: first the (thankfully now defunct) ASBOs leading to criminal records for begging or violating Controlled Drinking Zones, recent abortive attempts to make rough sleeping in certain areas illegal and now this measure which will retrospectively criminalise people for actions that were legal at the time that they performed them are all repuganantly regressive moves that will only serve to further stigmatise those on the margins of society and inhibit them from ever being rehabilitated back into its embrace; all for little gain beyond increasing the conveneince of a handful of negligent property-owners. As we move further and further towards a full-blown housing crisis (by which I mean the decimation of affordable housing and increasing ghettoisation of London, in particular, not finding it hard to get your foot on the property ladder) it's not a move that augurs well for the Government attempting to close the chasm between the haves and have-nots, rather than pulling up the drawbridge.
(One of the interesting things about reading the Commons debate on the issue, linked from the article I've linked to above, was how well-known to me the handful of MPs who opposed the change were: John McDonnell, Caroline Lucas, Bonkers Kate, hearteningly, my local MP Joan Ruddock; glad though I am to see politicians I (mostly) respect speaking out how I would want them to, the fact that it was the Usual Suspects drives home how few MPs stray out of the political mainstream and raises concerns about who will challenge such moves once these dissenting voices are gone.)
I guess there are several issues that make me angry about it: one is the way in which it's come about, legislation suddenly being produced and voted on within days of the 'consultation process' ending doesn't exactly inspire confidence in those of us that contributed to it that all the submissions were carefully considered. I'm also pretty galled at the influence the Evening Standard has had on public perception of the issue with its drip-feed of misleading articles giving an over-inflated impression of the scale of the problem as well as distorted understandings of the legalities of the issue (numerous articles of the 'sqauatters moved in when I popped down the shops and there was nothing I could do' variety, whilst in fact legal powers have existed for police to arrest people in that situation since the 70s)- a campaign masked as news, so reminiscent of their even more vicious smears against Ken before the last Mayoral election; I know several of you loathe the man, but the constant articles making accusations of corruption and alcoholism in the weeks leading up to the vote, all of which were quietly dropped as soon as it was all over, were a disgrace of voter-deception, whatever his political strengths and weaknesses.
But of course its mostly through the lens of my work that I'm most angered by this move. The Evening Standard may make a meal of idiot art collectives taking over mansions in Mayfair, and yes there are lifestyle squatters who fill empty property as a political act, but the majority of squatters I've known have been the ones who drift in and out of our services, who are one step away from sleeping on the street, who want to find a way to get away from the danger, the chaos and the cold of rough sleeping and give themselves enough stability to sort out their lives. On top of the Housing Benefit cuts, the attack on the security of social housing tenancies, the cuts to Local Authorities leading to hostel after hostel closing (granted, Mr. Shapps has recently announced money for hostels to ameliorate this but it's been to late to save many)- another measure likely to turf dozens, maybe hundreds, no-one seems to know, more people out onto the streets is the last thing we need.
What concerns me most of all, however, is the trend we're seeing towards criminalising the most vulnerable people in society: first the (thankfully now defunct) ASBOs leading to criminal records for begging or violating Controlled Drinking Zones, recent abortive attempts to make rough sleeping in certain areas illegal and now this measure which will retrospectively criminalise people for actions that were legal at the time that they performed them are all repuganantly regressive moves that will only serve to further stigmatise those on the margins of society and inhibit them from ever being rehabilitated back into its embrace; all for little gain beyond increasing the conveneince of a handful of negligent property-owners. As we move further and further towards a full-blown housing crisis (by which I mean the decimation of affordable housing and increasing ghettoisation of London, in particular, not finding it hard to get your foot on the property ladder) it's not a move that augurs well for the Government attempting to close the chasm between the haves and have-nots, rather than pulling up the drawbridge.
(One of the interesting things about reading the Commons debate on the issue, linked from the article I've linked to above, was how well-known to me the handful of MPs who opposed the change were: John McDonnell, Caroline Lucas, Bonkers Kate, hearteningly, my local MP Joan Ruddock; glad though I am to see politicians I (mostly) respect speaking out how I would want them to, the fact that it was the Usual Suspects drives home how few MPs stray out of the political mainstream and raises concerns about who will challenge such moves once these dissenting voices are gone.)
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no subject
Date: 2011-11-09 03:59 pm (UTC)