Who we are

The Moss Side branch, the first local group, was set up in 2017 with only a handful of neighbours in response to common concerns about poor housing conditions and the lack of affordable family homes. It is a very active group and is seeking to expand its membership.

Membership is open to renters and any other residents of Moss Side concerned about housing injustice and a belief in the collective power of achieving change.

We have supported national campaigns to end DSS discrimination by landlords and estate agents and to end no-fault evictions. We exposed the scandal of the social housing sell-off into the private rented sector in Moss Side; this prevented more sell-offs, and resulted in more social housing being retained in the pool for potential future tenants.

Know Your Rights Sessions

The branch runs regular sessions on tenants rights which are very popular. The sessions are held at the Windrush Millennium Centre, Alexandra Rd, Manchester M16 7WD. Upcoming dates for these sessions take place from 5pm - 7pm on:

  • Tuesday February 13th 2024
  • Tuesday March 12th 2024
  • Tuesday April 9th 2024
  • Tuesday May 14th 2024
  • Tuesday June 11th 2024
  • Tuesday July 9th 2024

Ongoing concerns

We are concerned about the rise of short-term lets (such as airbnbs) with their negative effects on the community and the loss of family homes, as well as the impact of buy-to-let landlords making it harder for local residents to find affordable, permanent homes. We frequently liaise with other community groups who share these concerns; an example of this was a joint meeting in 2019 with eight of these groups and council leaders to discuss these issues and to look for solutions.

Current focus

We are currently conducting a survey of Moss Side social housing tenants to identify any ongoing tenant/provider relationship problems. We aim to share our findings with the appropriate social landlords with a view to finding solutions.

Click here for our questionnaire

The survey will be revised and updated to include private sector renters in the future.

Branch Committee

  • Chair Sheikha Omar
  • Secretary Jamal Leo Oestreich
  • Campaigns Officers Rowena Davis, Louise Morachinni
  • Member Solidarity Officer Ekua Bayunu
  • Moss Side Housing Forum Rep Verna Caines
  • GMTU Committee Reps Alex Stattion, Jamal Leio Oestreich