International Tenants’ Day Brings Struggle Abroad and at Home

by Beyond Chron (reposted)

Tue, Oct 3, 2006 7:31AM

Today is International Tenant’s Day, as proclaimed by the Union of Tenants (IUT), a coalition of 54 members associations in 44 countries that is dedicated to safeguard tenants’ rights. Based out of Stockholm, Sweden, the IUT publishes a quarterly magazine (“Global Tenant”) that publicizes tenant struggles throughout the world, conducts seminars on tenant issues, and works in partnership with various United Nations agencies, including the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the UN Center for Human Settlements.

The struggle for tenants’ rights and eviction protections is truly international. In Nigeria, 800,000 people have been rendered homeless through evictions in 49 settlements from 2003-2006. In Prague, tenants who have been evicted from their flats must themselves show proof to the Court that the order is without a valid reason – the landlord does not need to show proof in the first instance. In Pakistan, the construction of the Lyari Expressway in Karachi will have rendered 250,000 people homeless. In Poland, effective ways of getting rid of “troublesome” tenants include dismantling of railings, disconnecting electricity and cutting off water supply and heating.

Read More
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=3740#more

Add Your Comments

Support Independent Media

We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!