The Neighborhood Union: learning together, fighting together, and growing stronger together #

What is the Neighborhood Union? #

The Neighborhood Union is a neighborhood organization. It was founded to bring people together and make them stronger. The Neighborhood Union has three sides: social, political-educational, and as a trade union. The people in the neighborhood together make up the Neighborhood Union.

Social Character #

The Neighborhood Union helps residents meet, support each other, and solve problems together. Think of support networks, organizing activities together, or supporting work in the neighborhood. This makes the neighborhood more independent and less dependent on agencies that often don’t listen to residents properly.

Political-Educational Character #

Many people feel powerless or unheard. The Neighborhood Union wants to change this by learning together with residents how they can be stronger together. Attention is paid to political education: how does power work, how do we regain power, and why is solidarity important? By learning and acting together, we can achieve more than alone.

Union Character #

Just like a union, the Neighborhood Union stands up for the interests of residents. For example, in the face of impending gentrification (when wealthy people and businesses take over a neighborhood, driving residents out), evictions, mold in your home, or excessive rents. Together with residents, we want to protect ourselves against issues that affect us.

Why is the Neighborhood Union necessary? #

Residents often have little say. Decisions are made without the neighborhood truly having a say. There are also increasing problems such as rising rents, loss of affordable housing, and fewer social services. The Neighborhood Union gives residents the opportunity to organize, take action together, and take back power.

The goal is to build power from the bottom up. This means that residents together decide what is important and how the neighborhood develops. The Neighborhood Union wants to put residents first and demonstrate that change starts in the neighborhood.

The Neighborhood Association is therefore a place of and for residents: learning together, fighting together, and growing stronger together.