Denis Page, Communication Officer ACORN

In a city where gleaming glass skyscrapers increasingly dominate the skyline, many residents feel left in the shadows of the rising cost of living and a housing crisis that feels out of control.

However, Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) Manchester, a member-led community union, is seeking to bridge that gap by mobilizing residents to reclaim power from developers, landlords and local government.

According to Denis Page, the communications director of ACORN Manchester, the union operates on the principle of “collective power,” relying on the strength of over 600-strong local membership to tackle the systemic issues facing the city.

“When we come together, we can fix these issues adding “the hope is with your community. It’s not hopeless.”He said.

Mr Page cited the Bee Network buses now frequenting city streets as a prime example of their success as visible impact of the union.

“We were one of the organizations involved in the consortium for campaigning to bring the buses back under public control.”

ACORN has again through the “Boot the Bailiffs” campaign successfully pressured the council to commit £1 million toward more compassionate payment plans and to stop sending bailiffs to the doors of the most vulnerable citizens for aggressive council tax collections.

“It was a huge, huge win for us,” says Mr. Page. “The council committed to making that process more compassionate rather than asking for thousands of pounds all at once.”

Chiemeria Obi, an active member, recalls a recent victory involving a tenant struggling with mold and rat infestations. “All we did was to write a letter to the council asking the issues be sorted. Now, that mold is being worked on. It’s great.” She explained.

She added: “The more of us that band together, the more we realize we can put pressure on the people at the top.”

To operate independently, ACORN funds its operations entirely through member-donations.

This according to Mr Page enforces the union’s commitment to actually take on the issues affecting people without any corporate or government influence.

“You get so much dread when you think about the world… it feels like it’s out of your control,” but then I realized that for the cost of about £4 a month, I’m playing my part which echoes ACORN mantra of “we are the people, and for the people.” Miss Obi said.

This independence has allowed them to launch their latest major initiative: “Homes for High-rises.” As luxury skyscrapers pop up across Manchester, ACORN is demanding that the council enforces a 30% social housing requirement for every new development.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to squeeze the city, ACORN’s message is clear: “you don’t have to face it alone.”