The History of Squatters

THE HISTORY OF SQUATTERS If you're referred to as a squatter in England or Wales, you are taking possession of land or property that doesn't legally belong to you. This can be for a number of reasons, including homelessness and protest. Something called the 'Peasants Revolt' was a big issue in 1381 according to the BBC, and squatting became a necessity after the second world war as many people didn't have a home. 1381 Ex-servicemen and their families squatted in derelict camps until the 50s. There were 50's around 45,000 squatters in total, and the public were fairly supportive in general. Clementine Churchill, wife of Winston, said that 'squatters' is an ungraceful term, and that these people are respectable citizens who just want to find a home. The most recent history of mass squatting was in the 60s, in the middle of a 60's housing crisis. The family squatting movement in the 60s saw people take control of empty properties who had been waiting on the council housing waiting list with no luck. In the 1970s, there was a new wave of squatters who had conflict between the 1970's original Family Squatting Movement, as they wanted to squat so they didn't have to pay rent. The people who wanted to squat to avoid paying rent were usually anarchists and hippies rather than young families. Since 1977, it's been illegal to use force or violence to enter a property where somebody 1977 is present there and opposes the entry. This is where the term 'squatters rights' came from. The local authority housing departments would have to pay substantial costs to evict squatters, so they sometimes resorted to | rendering the properties unlivable by smashing them up and taking out the plumbing. There are only about 5,000 property guardians in the UK so there are more squatters than property guardians in the UK In 2003, there were around 15,000 squatters 2003 in England and Wales. This number had risen to 20,000 by 2012. Squatting in a residential property became 2012 a criminal offense in September 2012. Sources: GLOBAL GUARDIANS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squatting_in_England_and_Wales http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19438903 由 田田 。 田 由 田 田田 田