Squatting resources!
Because the state prioritizes landlords’ right to leech money off of the working class during a pandemic while contributing nothing of value to society over tenants’ right to not die of exposure, we’re about to face a global eviction crisis. That means people will be thrown out on the street to fend off a deadly virus while houses that nobody can afford sit empty. At the same time, countless small businesses and community centers are shutting down because they can’t afford rent
So here are a few guides to squatting, breaking into and living in or otherwise using (e.g. as a social center) abandoned property:
Opening Doors: A Primer
The 75 River Do It Yourself Occupation Guide
It’s Vacant, Take It! by Homes Not Jails
Bonus: How to occupy and collectivize your workplace
Bonus: The Autonomous Tenants Union Network, a North American collaborative of radical tenants unions
I hope you find these interesting!
Also:
Australia: Crisis! Ipswich - Brisbane (current version from 2016) has quite a few resources aimed at the homeless, in addition to the section on squatting (starts on page 30 of the pdf).
England and Wales: Advisory Service for Squatters website has quite a few resources. There’s a Squatters Handbook (14th edition, 2016). (Certain parts may still be applicable for Scotland and Northern Ireland, but there are disclaimers about certain legal elements being specific to England and Wales.)
France: LE SQUAT DE A À Z (2019; in French).
Barcelona: Despegando Squatting Manual (2020; in English).
Squat.net’s list of how to manuals sorted by country.
Melbourne Squatters Guide (2010) has a section on repairs that should be done ASAP: fixing water pipes, cracked PVC pipes, leaking taps, toilets, roof leaks, and resources for general repair. There are notes about how to get utilities turned on, which were cited in a How to Squat in Abandoned Property article (footnote #17). I can’t guarantee that everyone actually does have the right to have utilities connected as long as the plumbing, wiring, lines, etc. work, but I was more trying to get a feel for winter tips.
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