On Wednesday 22 April at 11.40am, Lambeth Council plan to evict Trace Newton, a vulnerable, disabled 56-year-old housing co-op resident from her home of 35 years in Lillieshall Road, London SW4 0LP
This is the latest chapter in Lambeth’s widely criticised – http://tinyurl.com/plmzqdn – and vindictive eviction policy, with vocal critics including artist Maggi Hambling and Kate Hoey.
Kate Hoey, Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate, and serving Vauxhall MP from 1989, has been a constant critic of the council’s policy and said of Trace’s eviction:
“This is a disgraceful way to treat a long-term Lambeth resident who has a home that is among the best examples of a tenant-improved property.”
“I will be standing with Trace and her supporters to stop the bailiffs from carrying out Lambeth’s attempt to wipe housing co-op residents off the map – a policy they said they were against! If this was a Conservative council I am sure members of the Labour Party would be the first to criticise it – and not be cheerleading the misery of others!”
STOP PRESS: The 4 main candidates in the Vauxhall constituency have urgently raised the evictions with Lambeth Council’s chief executive, Sean Harriss – http://www.lambethunitedhousingco-op.org.uk/?page_id=1076
Kate Hoey will be among those protesting on Wednesday along with Maggi Hambling, Alannah Currie (ex of The Thompson Twins), award-winning author, Viv Albertine, ex of The Slits, Ana da Silva (The Raincoats) and artist Jimmy Cauty, ex-KLF.
More background to the housing co-op eviction story:
For the last two years Lambeth United Housing Co-operative has been campaigning against Lambeth Council’s destruction of housing co-operative communities.
The eviction policy of the council means that OAPs and other vulnerable residents, among others, will be forced from their homes.
These are homes that were saved from demolition by the establishment of the co-ops and were maintained by the residents at no cost to the council.
Rather than giving residents tenancies (some have been in their homes since the 1970s and are in their 70s), the council stood back from the whole arrangement, despite originally helping the co-ops set up. In the 4 decades that have followed, close-knit, self-reliant communities flourished without the help of the local authority.
Now that the housing market has inflated the prices of these homes (ones that were compulsory purchased in the 1970s for very small sums), the council are seeking to make a fast buck by turfing out residents and selling the houses off on the open market, at auction.
The policy has a triple whammy effect; social housing is being sold off; people who have homes are forced to displace others on the waiting list; none of the money raised is being used to provide more social housing.
The council have repeatedly refused a solution backed by the Co-operative Enterprise Hub, and other experts, to keep the houses as social housing. Meanwhile, they have blocked democratic recourses including Freedom of Information requests.
Supporters of the residents include Kate Hoey MP, Vivienne Westwood, Mark Thomas, Joanna Lumley, Maggi Hambling, Peter Tatchell and Ken Loach, but the voices of local residents, Londoners generally, and embarrassed rank and file Labour Party members have also been heard loud and clear against Lambeth Council’s vindictive policy.
The links to our website, all our social media and our petition are below:
lambethunitedhousingco-op.org.uk
Twitter: @LUHousingCoop
facebook.com/LambethUnited
Petition: http://chn.ge/16PkKwv
Please contact 07810 486658 for further details:
A reminder that the eviction is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 22 April at 11.40am, Lillieshall Road London SW4 0LP
I am appalled.These councillors should be thrown out of the Labour Party. Ed Milliband should be made aware of these evictions he said he is behind the workers and these people have worked all their lives. Shame on you Lambeth Council you weren’t elected to line your pockets but to represent these people.
I am appalled.These councillors should be thrown out of the Labour Party. Ed Milliband should be made aware of these evictions he said he is behind the workers and these people have worked all their lives. Shame on you Lambeth Council you weren’t elected to line the councils pockets but to represent the people.
Just another example why Labour are not fit for local or National government. I hope Eric Pickles is made aware of this and takes action against another badly run council. implementing a downright nasty policy.
And where is Prince Chuka, the Labour heir elect? I thought this would have afforded a wonderful photo opportunity. This is all happening on his watch.