A squatters union, settlers association, or claimant club, is an organization of

homesteader Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres * Homestead principle, a legal concept ...

s or

squatters Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...

established to protect their interests and property rights. They have been formed in the Australia, England, Poland and the United States.

Australia

Squatters in Australia formed unions in the 1980s. There was the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Squatters' Union and the Squatters Union of Victoria. '' Quadrant'', a cultural publication based in Sydney ran a story titled the 'Excremental Politics of Squatters' Union' in 1989.

England

Squatters in England have formed squatters unions. In London there was a squatters union in the 1970s and

Piers Corbyn Piers Richard Corbyn (born 10 March 1947) is an English weather forecaster, businessman, anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist. Born in Wiltshire, Corbyn was raised in Shropshire where he attended Adams' Grammar School. He was awarded a firs ...

was an advocate. The union negotiated with the

Central Electricity Generating Board The Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) was responsible for electricity generation, transmission and bulk sales in England and Wales from 1958 until privatisation of the electricity industry in the 1990s. It was established on 1 Janua ...

so that squatters could access amenities. The still active

Advisory Service for Squatters The Advisory Service for Squatters (A.S.S.) is a non-profit group based in London and run by volunteers. It aims to provide practical advice and legal support for squatters. It was founded in 1975, having grown out of the Family Squatters Advis ...

grew out of the union. In the city of

Brighton and Hove Brighton and Hove () is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages. Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton and H ...

, a squatters union was set up in the 1970s by Bruno Crosby. It later became known as the Sussex Housing Movement. The union occupied many houses for people to live in. A group which included

Tony Greenstein Tony Greenstein is a British left-wing activist and writer. An anti-fascist and former squatter, he was a founder member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and stood for parliament as a representative of the Alliance for Green Socialism. In 2 ...

made a deal with a landlord to live and repair a derelict hotel in Hove at 9 Lansdowne Place. Twenty people lived in the licensed squat for the next five years. Steve Bassam, now Baron Bassam of Brighton, squatted in Brighton and also participated in the union. In more recent times, the Squatters Network of Brighton (SNOB) proposed that licensed squats could be a way to solve the city's housing crisis.

Poland

In Polish

osadnik Osadniks ( pl, osadnik/osadnicy, "settler/settlers, colonist/colonists") were veterans of the Polish Army and civilians who were given or sold state land in the ''Kresy'' (current Western Belarus and Western Ukraine) territory ceded to Poland by P ...

communities, a settlers union (Polish: Centralny Związek Osadników Wojskowych) was founded in March 1922 and offered credit, funded scholarships at various universities of agriculture, and founded schools.

United States

In the United States squatter groups have taken on various names including clubs, associations, or unions.

Solon Robinson Solon Robinson (October 21, 1803 – November 3, 1880) was a writer, journalist, agriculturist, and pioneer. He wrote for the '' New York Tribune'' and '' American Agriculturist'' and published several books including '' Hot Corn'', a bestsel ...

who settled with his family in the area now known as

Crown Point, Indiana Crown Point is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 33,899 at the 2020 census. The city was incorporated in 1868. On October 31, 1834, Solon Robinson and his family became the first settlers to ...

established a squatters union in the 1830s. Land speculators were a problem for members. The union grew to 500 members.

John Tipton John Tipton (August 14, 1786 – April 5, 1839) was from Tennessee and became a farmer in Indiana; an officer in the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe, and veteran officer of the War of 1812, in which he reached the rank of Brigadier General; and po ...

spoke in support of the group.

Perrine, Florida Perrine, Florida was an unincorporated community in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, about midway between Miami and Homestead. It is at The community was named after Henry Perrine, who in 1839 had been granted a survey township of lan ...

had a squatters union of farmers during the late 19th century. In more recent times squatters have formed unions to represent their interests. Examples include Homes not Jails in San Francisco. In New York City, residents in eleven squatted buildings successfully legalised with the assistance of the

Urban Homesteading Assistance Board The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, or UHAB, is a non-profit organization in New York City that helps create and support self-help housing. UHAB works with residents to acquire, rehabilitate and manage their apartments. In the process the or ...

. These buildings included

C-Squat C-Squat is a former squat house located at 155 Avenue C (between 9th and 10th Streets) in the Alphabet City neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City that has been home to musicians, artists, and activists, among others. After a fire, it was t ...

and

Umbrella House Umbrella House is a former squat and a Housing Development Fund Corporation in New York City's East Village, at 21-23 Avenue C. The squat, formed in 1988, was known for its political engagement and high level of collective organization among i ...

References

{{Reflist Housing organizations Squatting in the United Kingdom Squatting in Australia Squatting in the United States