Damn the man! Save the bikehouse!

north america / mexico | community struggles | other libertarian press Thursday November 10, 2011 14:55 by Andrew - Bikehouse thebikehouse at privacyharbor dot com 519 e 600 so SLC UT 84102

Saving Salt Lake's Squat

For a number of years now, the Bikehouse has been an established activist house in downtown salt lake. It's been home to punk rock kids, artists, vegans and alike. it's been a temporary home for hundreds of bands passing through town, or activists who need a place to crash while touring. It has been featured in a documentary by National Geographic, the book PUNKHOUSE, a number of independent documentaries and articles in papers all over the country. It has been a staple in the punk rock and activist community for nearly a decade. It is one of the longest running squats in the United States, and represents a symbol in the social housing movement, and sticking it to the man!! It is now home to 4 people, 3 cats, and one dog... and it's in jeopardy.

The Bikehouse SLC

At the end of last month, the residents of bike house recieved a notice from the state that if $6200 is not paid by November 30th, the house would be taken from us. Scrounging together what they could, the residents realized quickly that they didn't have the means to make that much in such short notice, and are looking to the community for help.

Saving the Bikehouse means much more than saving the home of a few kids, it stands for the basic human right to have a safe place to find shelter. It stands for not accepting that we have to dedicate our lives to something that should be a given. In a time where more and more people find themselves displaced and out of a home, a building that was once forgotten and abandonded now serves as not only a home, but a center of a community. It stands as a beacon of what we can do if we take back our basic rights. Help us save the house, stand up for the rights of basic shelter for everyone, and the potential that gives to enrich our community!