The Platform...
get informed
share ideas
build links
learn skills
dream
take action
In October 2014 and 2016, architecture and design collective, Transition by Design, working in collaboration with citizens, activists and housing professionals hosted two major events concerned with the UK housing crisis, specifically focusing on Oxford, but with a UK outlook.
We had an exciting line-up of speakers, workshops, skillshares and performances examining the current context – the drivers of the crisis, and we heard from groups and individuals offering creative alternatives to these problems.
House of the Commons is intended to be participatory with a focus of self-organisation for practical action and is an open source to all people wanting to find out more about our current housing situation and where we could go next. This platform provides you with information extracted from both events, and we’re keen to offer assistance and support on your housing-related initiatives.
Joining the dots between the root causes to the housing crisis - addressing financialisation; banking deregulation; land ownership; supply and privatisation
Who owns Britain? We will be interrogating the links between land ownership and value, asking who owns and controls the land under our feet
Understanding the facts; and asking how can we build effective links and solidarity across borders looking at a range of initiatives
Exploring the alternative models available to us now and looking long term at how we can redesign our housing system to deliver genuine affordability, security and sustainability
Contributors
Sara Mahmoud
Aysen Dennis
Danny Dorling
Alastair Parvin
What people say...
Feedback, comments and what people gained from HotC
Latest news
Iffley Open House: They’re staying!
Homeless squatters potentially allowed to stay in Iffley Garage Open House until the end of winter. Last Friday, Midcounties Co-op launched a claim at Oxford County Court to get the squatters of the old VW garage on Iffley Road evicted. Protesters gathered outside the courthouse during the hearing as a plea to the co-op Read more about Iffley Open House: They’re staying![…]
Project ERIC, the clean energy
Project ERIC: Residential Energy Project of 2016! Project ERIC – Energy Resource of Integrated Communities, a project by our very own Transition by Design, in collaboration with Bioregional, Moixa Technology and The Oxford Institute of Sustainable Development of Oxford Brookes University, was recently awarded the residential energy project of the year at the 2016 Energy Read more about Project ERIC, the clean energy[…]
People need homes, empty spaces need people
Iffley Garage Open House Please sign here to tell Wadham College to do the right thing for homeless people this winter You may have seen Independent‘s and Oxford Mail‘s article on squatters turning Oxford University’s building into homeless shelter, and the plea to do the right thing for the homeless in Oxford. Here’s a message Read more about People need homes, empty spaces need people[…]
HotC in Red Pepper ‘Room for All’
“Nadhira Halim and Andy Edwards report on the range of creative responses to the housing crisis that are providing secure, affordable housing across the UK” After the success of House of the Commons, members of Transition by Design wrote an article in the latest issue of Red Pepper Magazine, Utopia Now. The article outlines a Read more about HotC in Red Pepper ‘Room for All’[…]
HotC at CAG Skill Share
Oxford Housing & Land Nightmare: What can communities do? Last Saturday, CAG (Community Action Group) organised a fantastic skill share in Oxford, with a range of topics from ‘How to make friends and influence people’ to ‘CAG Garderner’s Question Time’. These wide range to topics and skills are shared by experts and members of community groups Read more about HotC at CAG Skill Share[…]
HotC in Red Pepper ‘Creating places of refuge’
“Nadhira Abdul Halim calls for some creative projects in support of asylum seekers” One of our House of the Commons team members wrote an article in the latest issue of Red Pepper Magazine. The article discusses misconceptions and myths surrounding refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, and how we need creative solutions to tackle Read more about HotC in Red Pepper ‘Creating places of refuge’[…]
Hot off the press!
HOUSE OF THE COMMONS PRESS RELEASE Copy date: 12th September 2016 Event Date: 21st – 23rd October 2016 When: 21st – 23rd October 2016 Where: Cowley Road Methodist Church (21st & 22nd October), East Oxford Community Centre (23rd October) “House of the Commons” – a platform to explore creative solutions to the housing crisis launches Read more about Hot off the press![…]
Oxford City Council Draft Housing Strategy (2015-2018) [Consultation Closed]
Oxford City Council (OCC) invited responses to it’s Draft Housing Strategy 2015-2018 between November 2014 and January 2015. We had a read through of the Draft and, whilst many of the points are promising, there is very little in the way of real, creative solutions to the housing crisis. WHAT CAN YOU DO? Read the 8-page Read more about Oxford City Council Draft Housing Strategy (2015-2018) [Consultation Closed][…]
HotC in Red Pepper ‘Bursting the bubble: say no to MIPIM’
A new article on MIPIM UK and House of the Commons is out this week in Red Pepper magazine
Those who can, buy – from Robert Holtom
Having read the inspiring article about Focus E15 Mothers I wondered how London had become a place where shaving foam companies were invited to display their advertising on the side of vacant properties but people in need of housing were denied entry to these places – how can advertising take priority over alleviating homelessness? There Read more about Those who can, buy – from Robert Holtom[…]