AROUND 100 members of London Renters Union (LRU) took to the streets of the capital as part of the Global Day of Housing Action on Saturday.
Activists rallied outside the Shoreditch offices of estate agent giant Foxtons, which saw its pre-tax profits double to £17.5 million last year while thousands struggle to make ends meet.
Foxtons also has a key role in the city’s “build-to-rent” market, which campaigners described as a “major site of profiteering for international private equity.”
Average rents in England have jumped by 7.8 per cent to £1,386 in the last year alone.
Meanwhile, a record 126,040 households in England have been forced into homelessness and are in temporary accommodation.
LRU is calling on the government to take immediate action by implementing urgent rent controls and reinvesting in social housing.
Anne Dilley, a 61-year-old LRU member, told how she was left homeless after an illegal eviction back in 2019.
“I moved from sleeping in the chair of a friend’s room in a social housing facility and hostels to my present HMO that I share with six others,” she said.
“From when I moved into the property in 2021, the landlord has increased the rent by £200 a month to £725 from June this year.
“This is despite the fact that though much of this time there weren’t any fire doors in the building.
“Having to find a new place in such a rush has taken all my money and it’s impossible to save up for a rental deposit. The whole thing has been a complete nightmare.”
LRU spokesperson Jae Vail said: “Labour was elected on a platform of fixing the housing crisis, but under its leadership, the crisis has only deepened.
“The government has allowed massive corporations from across the world to tighten their stranglehold on our communities, turning our homes into assets for their balance sheets, and destroying the soul of our city in the process.
“Families are forced to pack their bags and leave their neighbourhoods while corporate giants are given the keys to the city.
“Across the world, tenants are taking mass action and winning lower rents.
“We must continue to come together in our communities to demand an end to the profiteering and a housing system that works for everybody.”
