To: British Houses of Parliament
Repeal anti-squatting law (section 144 LASPOA) in England Wales
Section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (2011) criminalised squatting in residential properties in England and Wales, changing squatting from a civil to a criminal matter. The law has proven to be Undemocratic, Unjust, Unnecessary and Unaffordable.
Why is this important?
Squatters Action for Secure Homes (SQUASH) have produced two reports, “The Case Against Section 144” (March 2013), and “Homes, Not Jails” (April 2015) outlining the failings of s144 LASPOA, and how the new law is disproportionately affecting the homeless and vulnerably-housed. Many young people have been arrested, prosecuted and jailed unnecessarily under the law, while others have died from exposure in the winter months.
For more info: http://www.squashcampaign.org/resources/