IUT, for good, sound and secure housing and tenant participation Stockholm, Sweden Vienna, Austria
58 national and regional members in 45 countries (September 2011) Who we are: Politically non affiliated Stockholm Head office in Stockholm, with the Swedish Union of Tenants. Liaison office to the EU, in Brussels, Belgium.
What IUT does Bilateral projects, in 2011: Russia, Slovakia and Poland Global Tenant magazine 4 issues / year Advocate for rental housing, tenants rights and secure tenure Lobbying from IUT liaison office in Brussels - energy, social cohesion, state aid Lobby against evictions Moscow
Europe IUT members 2011 IUT Finland Norway Sweden Estonia Russia Scotland Latvia Denmark Lithuania Wales England NL IUT Poland Belarus France Belgium Germany Switzerland Czech Republic Slovakia Austria Slovenia Hungary Romania Ukraine Croatia Portugal Spain Italy B- H Macedonia Bulgaria Turkey Greece Blue=IUT members Israel
World IUT members 2011 San Francisco Boston Japan Nigeria Benin Congo Liberia Togo Tanzania Uganda Kenya Australia (6) South Africa Organisation of Civic Rights, OCR N-Z
Europe, rental housing in % of total housing stock, various years 1999-2003 ISL FIN Rental Housing in % of the total housing stock SWE 1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 > 51 not available IRL NOR DNK GBR NLD BEL DEU LUX FRA CHE POL CZE SVK AUT HUN SVN HRV EST LVA LTU BLR UKR MDA ROU RUS KAZ PRT ESP ITA BIH SRB MNE MKD ALB GRC BGR TUR Liber AB, Stockholm, Sweden MLT CYP
USA, Canada: rental housing in % of total housing stock, various years 1999-2003 Rental Housing in % of the total housing stock HI 44% 1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 > 51 not available San Francisco 65% NV 39% CA 43% USA 32% CAN 35% Chicago 60% NY 47% DC 59% MA 38% RI 40% New York 70% Liber AB, Stockholm, Sweden
Country Share of rentals of total stock Social housing in % of total stock Share in % of rental housing of total stock in major cities Austria 45 (-08) 26 Vienna: 77 (-03) Belgium 35 (-06) 7 (-04) Brussels : 58 (-06) (- Denmark 46 (-05) 20 (public) Copenhagen: 50 England 31 (-07) 19 London: 45 (-07) Finland 34 (-02) 15 (-02) Helsinki: 47 (-03) France 38 (-06) 16 Paris: 61 Germany 56 (-02) 30 (w. Germany 7 %,-02) Berlin: 88 Greece 20 (-04) no social sector Athens: 27 (-03) Ireland 23 (-02) 7 (-02) Dublin: 28 (-01) NL 44 (-06) 34 (-06) Amsterdam: 73(-07) Norway 23 (-01) 4 (-01) Oslo: 30 (-03) Portugal 20 (-01) 5 - Switzerland 69 (-00) 9 Geneva: 85 Spain 11 (-08) 1 Madrid: 18 (-01) Sweden 39 (-06) 22 (public) Stockholm: 49 (-04)
We ve come along way 1868 Deutscher Mieterbund Now: 1,2 million members 1916 Union Confédérale des Locataires, France Now: 550 000 members 1923 Swedish Union of Tenants Now: 540 000 members 1933 Norwegian Tenant Association Now: 3 500 members Göteborg Sweden 1925; young tenant activists
and tenant participation Congress of TPAS, www.tpas.org.uk Tenant Participation Advisory Service Why tenant participation? Democracy (consumer rights) Better management of houses Win-win result Lasting solutions Self-esteem esteem - feel good!
Tenant participation will help to ensure that tenants have the opportunity, means and incentives to decide how they should be consulted and involved in decisions on housing strategies, investment options and on housing services. Hong Kong, municipal housing resident management committee
Tenant participation and about reinventing the wheel Europe after 1945: One of the underlying problems which led to some of the major mistakes in urban planning after WW II was the failure to ask tenants themselves about fundamental issues such as the design and location of new homes. Choice was never on the agenda. Before mid 1970 s: from top down perspective - very little or no consultation with tenants. Decision-making was centralized. Today: Decentralisation,, and more active participation with residents. In the UK; From tower blocks to decent cottage-style homes. The prime lesson of recent history is that there is no short-cut around the need for patient, genuinely local consultation and participation where housing is concerned!
Tenant participation What is tenant participation? Tenant participation is a two Way process in which h tenants are able to influence decisions and take part in the housing service. One of the most important ways this happens is through voluntary local tenant and resident groups. Tenant participation is not only about tenants rights, but also about duties and responsibilities. about confrontation, but about dia- logue, trust and exchange of information and views.
Tenant participation How to stimulate tenant participation; Create a true feeling of importance and of being listened to, of partnership Facilitate meetings, and meeting space, incl. refreshments. Start small, with an issue that engages many Provide grants An award; Tenant/resident of the year Newsletter Have a good time! Offer training; - in legal matters/law - in organising, how to run and organise a meeting, etc. - studyvisits
Tenants main problems: rapidly increasing rents - with no or short notice, short terms of notices to quit, 1-21 2 months invisible landlords bad management ignorance of rights and duties, of owners no address no job! SAHF conference, Cape Town September 11-14, 2011
Tenants are many and active, and are to be found in all countries We are not alone, and tenants partricipate! SAHF conference, Cape Town September 11-14, 2011
National Alliance of HUD Tenants, Washington D.C. 2004
Warsaw, Poland, Tenants Day, 2008
Russia on the Volga river, 2006 Russia on the Volga river, 2006 Our housing situation is like a rope around our necks
IUT members from former Yugoslavia; Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia. Belgrade October 2006
Demonstration in Amsterdam, April 2005 Keep rents affordable!
Hong Kong 2005 for affordable housing
from UN Habitat, Nairobi, 2010 from Organisation of Civic Rights, OCR, Durban, 2010
Tenant and resident participation is fundamental in every democratic society. Tenants are tired of being screwed Fight back! Thank you for your attention! Magnus Hammar: info@iut.nu Tenants in Washington DC, USA