Every squat provides a space to exist for people who otherwise would be on the streets.
All squats are autonomous shelters created by houseless for houseless, without the state, charities, or any autocratic institutions making choices for them.
Autonomous Shelter Network is a mutual aid, mutual respect association dedicated to direct housing and the provision of food and necessities.
It is an affiliation of non-hierarchical, horizontally organised groups that are self-organised by community members without the state, business or charities.
The shelters are self-organised by residents who determine set and organisational style amongst themselves, with one shelter’s motto being “fuck the bosses”.
There are wet and dry spaces, to address the differences in addiction and recovery that different residents experience. There is also a dedicated queer and trans space support the different needs of FLINTA people. There are even a number of ‘micro-squats’ occupied by a minority of people due to personal preference, and also whether or not you enjoy techno music playing 24 hours a day.
All the buildings are long-term empties with no immediate plans for use, and some members of the ASN are engaged in attempts to negotiate with owners to secure license, whilst others have no interest in compromised deals with property owners and landlords.
The residents of the former shelter and a nearby squat on Caledonian Road had many possessions stolen by property owners during the evictions, and therefore many of them are without basics or living in places with minimal furnishings. Please contact autonomous_shelters_network@protonmail.com if you are able to provide any of the following:
- Van/car hire for delivery pick/up
- Food, especially canned
- Cutlery, cooking equipments
- Clothing – especially socks, underwear
- Mattresses, bedding, blankets
- Lamps/lights
- Cleaning equipment
- Bicycles, parts, tools
- Old laptops, computers, phones
- Tools, especially screws
- Building materials, wood, metal
There is a front office as a place of contact for the public, houseless people and the media being established, but for now all queries and requests can be directed autonomous_shelters_network@protonmail.com.
The shelters also appreciate volunteers who wish to dedicate time to work alongside residents and collaborate. We are especially interested to contact groups that would be interested to use a large, well-lit, comfortable space for activities and trainings the community could engage in.
All the spaces are explicitly anti-authoritarian and encourage a collectivist spirit, and although we strive to understand why people perpetuate abuse, it is not tolerated.
Fuck the bosses! Squat the city! Trespass is freedom! For a summer of anarchy!
Autonomous Shelters Network 