Squatting the illegal occupancy of property, is associated most commonly with developing countries. However, it has been recenth' used in Britain, Ireland and the United States as a tactic for protesting housing conditions and as a means of directly" acquiring housing. Although the total numbcr of dwel[ing units occupied by squatters only a few hundred on both sides of the Atlantic is relatively smalk the movements have had significant impact on public agencies concerned with housing. The squatting movement has relied heavily on the human interest value of publicity to gain the support of the general public in the fight for improved housing. For instance, the case of Mrs. Maggie O'Shannon and her two children splashed across British newspapers in January 1969. With the aid of some neighbors, the O'Shannons moved from a damp, crowded basement flat to an empty house across the strcet. The house bclonged to the Greater l,ondon Council (GLC) which promptly tried to evict her. But the London Squatters (~ampaign seized the opportunity to advance their cause and came to her defense. Neighbors provided food, electricity and other necessities. Under public pressure, the GLC decided she could keep the house if she paid rent. The self-help nature of her actions and the image of a solid lower-middle class family driven to desperate measures gained almost universal public sympathy for the squatters. Maggie O'Shannon became known as the Joan of Arc of the movement, a "prima donna among squ atters." The London Squatters Campaign began in December 1968 with an action calculated to demonstrate the urgency of the housing crisis confronting poor persons in the city. Youthful members of the Campaign staged a temporary