On the 24th August, the ban on evictions is ending. All over Oxford, the people who have kept our city going – from NHS staff to key workers to those caring for loved ones – are facing the prospect of homelessness.
Oxford is one of the UK’s most expensive cities to rent in, and it was experiencing a homelessness crisis even before the pandemic. This coming wave of evictions is predicted to make 45,000 households homeless nationally, and it is going to hit Oxford hard.
The last few months have put a crippling pressure on people’s finances, and an increasing number of Oxford families simply will not be able to pay their rent and feed themselves at the same time. In the current emergency, eviction poses a serious risk to their lives.
ACORN is a nationwide Community Union with extensive expertise in preventing evictions. The Oxford branch has been working with Oxford Mutual Aid to help those struggling with their housing situation during the pandemic.
On 1st August, ACORN will be running eviction resistance training, and Oxford Mutual Aid is encouraging anyone who is interested to attend.
The online training will take place on Saturday 1 August 4:00 – 5:30 pm, and will cover:
- An introduction to the different types of eviction
- The legal background to evictions
- How to safely and legally prevent evictions
The training will be on an online meeting platform called Zoom – many of you are probably already familiar with it. To join the training, register on Eventbrite. You will then receive a link that allows you to register for the Zoom meeting.
After your training, you will have an opportunity to become involved in local groups – you will also be invited to access more training and support from ACORN staff.
If you’re not confident using Zoom, or need any support joining the training, give the committee a ring at 07845 636685, or send an email to oxford@acorncommunities.org.uk
We hope to see you there.