False EconomyThere’s been more media interest in the eviction of 30 year old squats in Rushcroft Road recently. We’ve had article in the Brixton Bugle and the Lambeth Weekender. We’ve had other media coverage previously
The Rushcroft Road squats were evicted, but it’s not too late to stop the eviction of other Lambeth short life housing coops. Please sign the petition against their eviction
There was a protest against the eviction of long term squatters from Rushcroft Road, some of whom had lived there for 32 years, on Monday which Lambeth Save Our Services supported. The eviction was covered by the:
There’s also an eye witness account from Izzy Koksal here
You can find out more details on the campaign and how you can help at the campaign website
Protest Against Eviction – CANCELLED AS OF 2nd JULY
Friday 5th July, 2pm
Lambeth County court, Cleaver Street, SE11 4DZ
Let us know you’re coming on facebook
Loughborough Estate residents will be protesting against the eviction of an estate resident, Dennis, when he appears in court next Friday July 5th at 2pm
Dennis has found himself in arrears because of a combination of issues which are affecting hundreds of others on this estate alone – periods of unemployment, the bedroom tax and the callous indifference of the Council and the DWP.
He has been subject to the bedroom tax since April and his arrears also relate to scandalous treatment in the benefits system where he has had his payments cut completely during some short periods he was able to find work, and then lengthy delays in getting them reinstated when the jobs finished. He is effectively being penalised for taking any work he could find and now faces losing his home. Dennis is quite desperate and is expecting to go on to the streets if he is evicted because he has no family support to fall back on.
Although his rent arrears have been building up over a period of time he has never even been offered a face-to-face meeting with his housing officer to help resolve his problems before being summonsed to court.
Lambeth Council should be supporting people like Dennis to get the benefits they are entitled to and should be refusing to evict anyone affected by the Government’s unfair benefit cuts and bedroom tax which the Council say they oppose – they should not be spending council tax money hauling vulnerable people through the courts and making them homeless.
Anyone who would like to support Dennis and oppose this eviction please join us at the court on Friday at 2pm.
Guest post by Julian Hall of the Lambeth United Housing Cooperative
Stoke on Trent has recently announced a social housing initiative of selling off rundown homes for a £1 and, issuing grants to repair them, was in the news – deservedly so.
It’s a different story in Lambeth though.
Here the council is evicting people who have maintained housing that the council abandoned for 40 years.
Now councillors – some of whom have been alive for less time than these housing co-ops have existed – are selling off these houses at auction.
This means that social housing units are being lost and people are being pushed on to an over-subscribed waiting list.
Evictions are going on all the time and you may have seen the recent splashes in the South London Press about this.
More information can be found on our website
The Tulse Hill Tenants and Residents Assocation and Lambeth Defend Council Housing have called a meeting to plan the campaign against the bedroom tax. Lambeth Save Our Services supports this meeting
Planning Meeting – Axe the bedroom tax
Saturday 20th April, 2pm
Jubilee Hall, Greenleaf Close, Tulse Hill Estate, SW2 2LX
This meeting is open to everyone, you do not need to live on the Tulse Hill estate.
You can download leaflets for the meeting here
Lambeth Save Our Services 