Declaration regarding the 2nd auction of Od:zysk squat

Reclaim 30,000 vacants!

On March 20th there will be a public auction of the building where Od:zysk squat is located and which houses several dozen grassroots initiatives. Since the previous auction, the asking price has dropped significantly, which might make it look like a better deal. What a misconception! Od:zysk is not and will not be for sale!

Our house will be auctioned 1,5 hour after the court’s closing time, behind closed doors and with the police present. The bailiff resorts to such measures, because he can already feel the tension and social resistance against the ruthless property law made by the rich. They justly expect that we will not meekly lie down and take it, or idly watch our home sold together with its dwellers.

Those sly actions well fit the anti-social policy that has been pursued by the city authorities and developers, who ignore the tenant rights of thousands of people in order to promote the interests of some few businessmen and their accomplice politicians.

Od:zysk is not the first one. Well known are the stories of ‘cleaned out’ apartment houses across the city. The tenants were harassed with utilities cut-offs and fake repairs which worsened the building’s condition; pepper spray was discharged on staircases to menace them; their locks were changed during their absence without permission; court rulings in their favor were administratively repealed – there were many incidents of shameful cooperation between investors and city authorities, lawlessly removing the dwellers from their flats. The inhumane landlords and ‘real estate cleaners’1 show no consideration for either the age or the health condition of people they harm. They only think of profit.

Many of the ‘cleared’ houses still remain empty. In the estate at Podgórze street, in which we established the Warsztat (Workshop) squat, after 5 months of renovation and conditioning works, there came the owner of the house who expelled the dwellers, aided by the police. Heavily armed policemen brutally approached those who were protesting, using pepper gas. Significantly, the owner appeared two days after the eviction accompanied by a ‘construction’ team, who destroyed the house completely – crashed window glasses, demolished some of the walls and broke all furniture inside. The estate has sat empty and falling apart since then.

Several dozen people live on the premises of Od:zysk. As the dwellers, threatened by eviction onto the streets, we are not considered a party of the auction. It is a common practice on real estate market to sell a house together with the people who live in it. The ‘cleaners’ refer to them as the ‘meat insert’ to be disposed of.

It is estimated that there are more then 30,000 vacant dwellings in the city of Poznan only. Part of those are city-owned, but they are not used as social housing; instead, they are waiting for an investor to purchase them. This state of affairs is favorable for developer companies who, taking advantage of the vast demand for dwellings, pump up the value of real property. As a result, apartment prices soar to the level at which they become unaccessible for an average citizen. The municipal authorities do not care to solve the problem of sidewalk evictions and the indebtedness of city inhabitants is increasing each year.

This situation situation has been deteriorating for many years, in spite of the numerous social protests supported by WSL2, dozens of articles in the local papers, hundreds of hours spend in court trials.

As Od:zysk collective we conducted several happenings and actions against Savills developer company and BZ WBK banking company this year. Those two corporations are particularly interested in the potential profits from the sales of the buildings on the corner of Paderewskiego and Szkolna streets. As a matter of fact, the identity of particular banks of developers is of no importance here. Every institution of this sort fits the logic of profiteering at the people’s expense.

We regard it our duty to oppose all such practices, no matter who stands behind them, be it BZ WBK, NeoBank, Fabryka Mieszkań i Ziemi, Savills3, officials from ZKZL4 or City Hall who support them, or the president of Poznan Ryszard Grobelny himself.

By entering the house, Od:zysk collective found a home for several dozen people and some, previously homeless, initiatives. This is the way we want to go. It is our intention not only to struggle against the brutal policy of the city authorities and developers, but also to promote the ideals of self-organization and claiming vacant spaces as a remedy for the contempt and disregard shown by the power and the capitalists towards the people.

We invite everyone to the 20 March demonstration! Details will come soon.