News
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Win for ACORN member, Thai!
The cost of living crisis is affecting us all, but for some renters, they also have to contend with landlords cashing in on the housing crisis and jacking up rents to make more profit. When ACORN Bristol member, Thai, got hit with an unaffordable 66.6% rent increase, we decided enough was enough! About 25 ACORN
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Cambridge moves a step closer to getting all HMOs licensed
ACORN Cambridge’s campaign to drive up standards in the city’s rented homes took a step forward last month, as council leaders agreed to demands on licensing Homes of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs). On February 16th, ACORN Cambridge met with council leaders to discuss Homes of Multiple Occupancy Licensing, as part of their ‘Ban the Slumlords’ campaign.
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Homes before Holidays: Cornwall campaign update
Short term lets are having a devastating effect on some of our communities, replacing long term accommodation and meaning rents are going up and conditions are going down. But people are getting organised and are fighting for change… ACORN Falmouth and Penryn recently met with Olly Monk, the Portfolio Holder for Housing in Cornwall, to
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£7750 victory for ACORN Hackney members!
ACORN member El and her flatmates were faced with a bedbug-infested flat in Dalston. Not only had they been paying rent for these unacceptable living conditions, they had also been forced to pay for fumigation. Not only did this place El and her flatmates under financial pressure, the situation was stressful and emotionally taxing. We
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Dodgy fees cancelled for ACORN Cardiff member
After pressure from ACORN Cardiff, a lettings agent has changed ALL their tenancy agreements to remove all their extra ‘fees’ – and will notify all their tenants that they’re safe from ‘extra charges’. After Callum’s employer didn’t pay his salary for months, he got into rent arrears. Despite paying the arrears off, his lettings agent
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£100m fire safety measure win for Bristol tower blocks
This is an update from the article published on the 5th January 2023 £100 million fire safety measures for Bristol tower blocks have been announced following a successful campaign by residents. Tonight (24th January), Bristol City Council has committed to increased fire safety measures for the city’s tower blocks after a campaign from residents affected
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ACORN members block bailiffs in Bristol
Last week, 20 ACORN members turned up to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our member Adam, who was facing eviction by bailiffs. We were outraged to hear that Sanctuary Housing, a housing association with over 250,000 properties, had called the bailiffs on a disabled member living in supported housing, over rent arrears. Our members turned up before
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Bristol tower block residents win fire safety campaign
Bristol City Council has committed to spend more than £22.3m improving fire safety and to install sprinklers in all council tower blocks in Bristol after campaigning from tower block residents and members of ACORN. At about 2am on 25th September 2022, a fire broke out on the 16th (top) floor of council block Twinnell House
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Wins for Liverpool Campaign against Housing Benefit Discrimination
This piece is written by ACORN Liverpool, looking back at the campaign against housing benefit discrimination that they fought and won this year. The challenge of finding somewhere to live has only been getting harder in Liverpool. Negligible social housing stock means people have to fend for themselves in the wild west of the private
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In it to bin it – Hillfields group launch
Residents of one corner of Bristol that ‘feels forgotten’ are getting organised and launching a fightback! Last month, after weeks of knocking doors in the rain, having important conversations with neighbours, and getting together to share ideas, a community union was launched in Hillfields, Bristol! The launch meeting was well attended and members got straight