Squatting set to become a criminal offence

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

Squatting in a residential building in England and Wales becomes a criminal offence on Saturday, meaning squatters would face jail or a fine.
Ministers said it would offer better protection for homeowners and "slam shut the door on squatters once and for all".
The maximum penalty will be six months in jail, a £5,000 fine, or both.
But campaigners warned the new law could criminalise vulnerable people and lead to an increase in rough sleeping.
Currently squatting is treated as a civil matter and homeowners - including councils and housing associations - have to go to a civil court to prove the squatters have trespassed before they can be evicted.

From 1 September it will be a criminal matter, and a homeowner can simply complain to the police who, if satisfied that the claim is genuine, can take action and arrest the squatters.
The law also protects owners of vacant residential properties such as landlords, local authorities and second-home owners.
Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: "For too long, hardworking people have faced long legal battles to get their homes back from squatters, and repair bills reaching into the thousands when they finally leave.
"No longer will there be so-called 'squatters' rights'. Instead, from next week, we're tipping the scales of justice back in favour of the homeowner and making the law crystal clear: entering a property with the intention of squatting will be a criminal offence."
Mr Shapps later tweeted: "Squatting has been illegal in Scotland since 1865. From tomorrow it will be a criminal offence in England too."
Homeowner Hugh Whittle told the BBC it was a "horrifying" experience when he returned from a stay in hospital to find squatters had moved into his residence in London.
"Just going through the three or four months it took to get them out was a cost in stress. And cost in money as well, of course, lost rent. And the property did actually become worse in its condition which meant that we had to pay builders more."

(More at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19429936 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19429936))

[bricolage]

Squatting is a common response to homelessness. As many as 40% of single homeless people have squatted with 6% of the homeless population squatting on any given night. Research has found no evidence of homeless squatters occupying people’s homes but as homeless squatters do sometimes live in derelict and abandoned residential buildings they are likely to be affected by the proposed new law.

Independent research carried out on behalf of Crisis shows that that 41% of homeless squatters report mental health needs, 34% have been in care, 42% have physical ill health or a disability,47% have experienced drug dependency and 21% sometimes self harm. 15% of homeless squatters also have a learning disability. On all of these measures homeless squatters are more vulnerable than the single homeless population as a whole. 90% of homeless squatters have also slept rough.

Squatting is certainly not a desirable tenure for vulnerable people, with serious implications for health and wellbeing. However, homeless squatters often have no alternative and we would not want to see people penalised simply for trying to put a roof over their head. Shockingly 78% of homeless people who squat have approached their local authority for help and have been turned away without a resolution to their housing need. Single homeless people are usually not entitled to housing and although local authorities do have a duty to offer advice and assistance we know that too often this does not happen.http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/Crisis%20briefing%20for%20Lords%20committee%20stag e%20of%20the%20LASPO%20bill.pdf