Last week ROOD Eindhoven organized a political café on the housing crisis. It was a great success with many attendees where we discussed the problems with the “housing market” while enjoying a drink.
First Hans from the Vredesburo (Peace Bureau) told about the history of the location: Burgers (Hertogstraat 2). Burgers is an old squat and Hans told us about the old squatting movement and their successes and setbacks. His experiences are very valuable for us to learn from.
Then Jack Regan (ROOD Eindhoven) told us about the deplorable state of housing in Ireland. Here Jack made a comparison with the situation in Vienna, where the social democratic government after World War I provided adequate housing, and good facilities. So it can be done differently.
Finally, Willem Nass talked about the Bond Precaire Woonvormen (Precarious Housing League; BPW) and the work they do to support anyone in precarious situations. Willem also went into detail about the laws and practices that make the current inhumane system possible.
After Willem’s talk, discussion immediately ensued about why the system works the way it does, who benefits from it, and how we can fight back.
This political café was the kick-off of a new initiative at Burgers: Take Space. With Take Space, we want to organize low-key events with a political layer on Sundays. The next Take Space event is next Sunday, January 29, and will be about Women in Iran. See the calendar for details and send us an email if you have your own ideas for a Take Space event.
