Building Power Together: F&S’s Housing Activism Series Recap
Over three packed weekends this winter, Food & Solidarity (F&S) brought together renters, organisers, and campaigners to confront the housing crisis head-on. This wasn’t just talk, it was about arming our community with the tools to fight back. From dissecting the roots of the crisis to crafting protest materials and experiencing how to organise a campaign yourself, the series laid bare the brutal realities of housing injustice while forging connections and skills for the struggles ahead.
Session 1: Film Screening & Campaign Strategy (20 January)
We opened with Ed Webb-Ingall’s powerful short film, A Bedroom for Everyone, which wove together the voices of housing activists across the UK. But this wasn’t passive viewing, the film sparked a raw discussion about who housing systems are built for (landlords, banks) and who they exclude (the rest of us).
Local organiser Elgan John (Food & Solidarity) then led a hard-hitting workshop on how to build a housing campaign from scratch. Attendees left with concrete steps: identifying targets, leveraging collective pressure, and refusing to accept "this is just how it is." As one participant put it: "Landlords have solicitors and lobbyists. We have each other—and that’s how we’ll win."
Session 2: Banner-Making as Protest Tool (17 February)
Here, art wasn’t decoration: it was a weapon in the fight for justice. At our banner-making workshop, attendees turned anger into action, screen-printing bold demands onto fabric and posters. These weren’t just crafts; they were provocations for rent strikes, picket lines, and eviction resistance.
The energy was electric as people shared stories: a tenant facing a 30% rent hike, a family stuck in damp-ridden temporary accommodation. The takeaway? Housing is a class war, and our creativity strengthens the front lines.
Session 3: The Crisis Laid Bare (9 March)
The final session cut through the myths. Why are rents skyrocketing? Why are evictions soaring? The answers aren’t accidents, they’re the result of decades of deliberate policy: Right to Buy gutting council housing, Airbnb hollowing out communities, and governments treating homes as investments, not shelter. Members of 151 Housing Coop out lined their vision of establishing a new Housing Coop in Newcastle.
Where Next? Join F&S
This series was just the start. Now, we organise. Whether it’s supporting tenants’ unions, mobilising against unfair evictions, or pressuring local councils, F&S is building a movement.
Get involved:
Follow for updates on actions. On Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok
No one fights alone. Bring your rage, your skills, your neighbours and join Food & Solidarity!
Housing is a right! let’s claim it together!
