Homes for Us Alliance Demands Rent Control in Manchester: Rally Success & Key Demands
The UK Housing Crisis: Why Rent Control Is Non-Negotiable.
On June 24, 2025, the Homes for Us Alliance spearheaded a decisive rent control demonstration during Manchester’s Housing Leadership Symposium, where seven mayors and major developers convened. Protesters demanded the devolution of rent control powers to local mayors, directly countering profit-driven lobbying by landlords. The action drew overwhelming public support, forcing policymakers to confront urgent calls for affordable housing. This rally marked a critical escalation in the Alliance’s nationwide campaign, kicking off (in the North of England) with a Newcastle strategy meeting, to regulate rents, reduce exploitative practices, and build 3 million social homes across the UK.
FROM NEWCASTLE, AN ECHO FOR ACTION NOW
On Sunday, 1 June 2025, a gathering of voices for change took place at Alsham Restaurant in Newcastle. The meeting was convened at the instance of the Home for Us Alliance, an umbrella body comprising various organisations committed to its core values. The host organisation for the event was Food & Solidarity.
Rent Control Demonstration, Manchester
The Home for Us Alliance is an organisation dedicated to addressing the housing crisis in the United Kingdom. It is no longer news that, alongside soaring inflation, one of the most pressing challenges currently confronting the nation is the lack of affordable and secure housing. It is universally acknowledged that every human being, regardless of status, deserves a healthy and safe place to call home. Yet, the current housing system remains in grave jeopardy.
This crisis stems from the dismantling of publicly owned housing and its subsequent handover to private landlords and corporate developers. As a result, homes have become prohibitively expensive. Many individuals are struggling to pay rent, while countless others are completely priced out of the market. The primary motive of landlords and developers is profit, and in their quest for profit maximisation, tenants are increasingly subjected to severe exploitation.
In response, the Home for Us Alliance has assumed the burden of advocating for an end to this distressing reality. It seeks to rouse the national government to fulfil its obligation to restore the tradition of publicly owned housing by providing quality, affordable social homes for the people.
The Alliance, facilitated by the New Economics Foundation, comprises several grassroots organisations, including Food & Solidarity, Acorn, Black South West Network, Caring in Bristol, Hands Off Our Homes, Disability Rights UK, Fairer Housing, Generation Rent, Greater Manchester Tenants Union, London Renters Union, among many others.
5 Demands: Homes for Us Alliance’s Blueprint for Change
To achieve its objectives, the Alliance has articulated five cardinal demands:
The Alliance firmly believes that these measures will pave the way towards securing homes for all in the United Kingdom.
As part of strengthening the campaign, the Home for Us Alliance paid a consultative visit to Food & Solidarity on 1 June 2025. The host organisation is regarded as a vital partner in progress. Representatives from other member organisations were also present at the event.
Food & Solidarity: Newcastle’s Frontline Warriors Against Eviction
The choice of Food & Solidarity as host was no coincidence. As a democratic, membership-based organisation, it is committed to combating food insecurity and housing injustice through collective action. To date, it has effectively met the challenge of providing weekly food parcels to a wide community in Newcastle and beyond. Since its inception, the organisation has been active in defending tenants, challenging evictions, and addressing disrepair issues through direct engagement with landlords. One of its major ongoing campaigns is the fight against child poverty, under the banner of 'No Child Poverty'.
The central focus of the Home for Us campaign, as presented in Newcastle, was the call for rent control. This was the key message delivered at the Alsham Restaurant gathering. The argument advanced was that once rent control is achieved, it will be easier to compel the government to build more accessible and quality homes for the public. Rent control, it was argued, empowers low-income earners by making housing more affordable and stable. By preventing arbitrary rent hikes, it enables families to plan their finances with greater certainty and protects them from the threat of eviction. Most importantly, rent control serves as a safeguard against exploitation by profit-driven landlords.
No Child Poverty Campaign: Newcastle Council’s Landmark Endorsement
Additionally, the meeting addressed Food & Solidarity’s ongoing 'No Child Poverty campaign', also referred to as 'No More Growing Up Poor' or 'No to the Benefit Cap'. The campaign focuses on the welfare and survival of children living in poverty. It has recently won overwhelming supports from Newcastle City Council, and this endorsement was reaffirmed by all organisations present at the meeting.
At the close of the gathering, all participating organisations reached a consensus on the proposed programmes of action.
Manchester Rally Recap: How Protesters Shook the Housing Symposium
As a next step in the campaign for rent control, the Home for Us Alliance called for a joint demonstration to take place during the Housing Leadership Symposium, scheduled for 24 June 2025 in Manchester. Seven Mayors were expected to attend, alongside major housing developers. While the developers were anticipated to push their vested, profit-driven interests, the demonstration aimed to counterbalance this influence by demanding the devolution of rent control powers to local Mayors.
True to plan, the demonstration took place on 24 June 2025 and was spearheaded by the Home for Us Alliance. It proved to be a resounding success, drawing in a large number of passers-by who joined the action as it unfolded. The core issues were powerfully presented, ensuring that both the Mayors and developers heard the voices of social justice campaigners loud and clear. This impact was later affirmed by the positive feedback received from attendees at the conference.
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