The Youth Department of Helsinki had gathered to decide on whether to rent the squatted house on Elimäenkatu (Elimäkistreet) to be used as a social centre for the youth of the city. This was the second time officials from the city came together to decide on the issue. After postponing the decision at their first meeting a month ago the board now unanimously decided to investigate the real condition of our house. The decision can be understood as an official recognition of the importance to have an autonomous space in Helsinki.

The house on Elimäenkatu has been deemed in very bad condition by the officials of the city. The statement has been supported by no real measurements or data whatsoever and on the contrary been proved wrong by the investigations we ourselves have made. This fact got recognized by the board of the Youth Department in their decision to appoint a private construction firm to investigate further on the matter.

The solution that the squatters and some people from the city have been working on is to have the house rented by the Youth Department to be used as an autonomous social centre. The house has been in this use since it was squatted in the beginning of August. After a long period of bad events on our issue the outlook is now better. But it would be overtly optimistic to say that if the investigations on our house turn out to be good the city would support us. During the last months the politicians and officials of the city have been changing their statements on whether to legalise the house or not on a daily basis. The Finnish media does not follow the game in the side-scenes where politicians and officials are manipulating each other to topple our project. We are far from securing the only social centre in Helsinki but much closer than before.

However the situation of Squat E15 develops the squatting scene in Helsinki and other Finnish cities is now stronger than ever before. We are constantly growing in numbers and a support demo of 300 people (or more) is more than we ever could have mustered half a year ago. We now have recognition for our needs and will not give up until we have this house or an equally good place guaranteed to us. Last but not least the international support we have been getting (Ghent, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Tallinn and Malmö as far as we know) means a lot to a small
but growing scene like ours. The struggle for free spaces continues!

Love and solidarity
Social centre Elimäki
www.valtaus.org