Monthly Archives: October 2015

Syed and Syeda’s case

October 31, 2015UncategorizedFocus E15 Campaign

We have been living in a property for the last two years in East Ham, which has been in complete disrepair throughout our tenancy and the landlord and estate agent (Elliot Davis of Green Street) has resisted doing any of the necessary repairs.

The house is full of damp, with a bed bug infestation, and the substandard condition of wallpapers and paint has been causing health hazards to my family. I have two children under the age of two living in this property who have continuously been bitten by bugs, and our GP has provided us with multiple medical letters regarding these, which we have sent to the estate agents with no results. The conditions have also had a major impact on the mental health of my family, which we have letters to prove

At the start of 2015 the landlord increased the rent without undertaking any of the repairs, and at this point the estate agent (Elliot Davis) came to visit our property for the first time since we had moved in. He witnessed the poor conditions and promised to get the repair works started instantly. On this promise, we signed the new tenancy agreement with increased rent, but all that was done was the kitchen and front door was repainted.

We contacted the estate agents (Elloit Davis) about this but were told that, as usual, the landlord was on holiday in Spain and wouldn’t be available for two months. At this point, we decided to withhold our rent to pressure the estate agents into carrying out the necessary repairs and that we would inform the council. They responded by sending us an eviction notice.

In July the estate agent (Elliot Davis) sent over builders without informing us beforehand, who started to pain over the damp to cover it, who also damaged some of our clothes and possessions with paint.

Since we have informed the council, they arranged a visit to inspect the conditions of the property and invited the landlord and estate agents (Elliot Davis) to attend, but they were not present. The estate agents have been given a week to respond, but we have heard nothing.

We are demanding the following:

A refund on some of our rent over the last two years as we are not prepared to pay to live in sub-standard conditions

The landlord and/ or estate agents (Elliot Davis) to pay the legal costs we have incurred in hiring a solicitor to handle our case

That our home is made livable and suitable for a family with young children

Syed, Syeda and the Focus E15 Campaign

We will not be silenced about the housing crisis

October 30, 2015#housingcrisis, event, Newham council, political policingaction, focus E15 campaign, homelessness, rough sleeping, stratford centreFocus E15 Campaign

East London night of resistance – resistance goes on undeterred….

On Wednesday 28 October, Focus E15 campaign, East London Radical Assembly and Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! organised a night of resistance in a local Stratford pub. After a great evening of film showings, discussion, poetry and music, the plan was to join the rough sleepers and homeless people overnight in the old Stratford Centre/mall to highlight the fact that rough sleepers are regularly kicked out of the mall and often spend the night in the grounds of the local church.

Suspiciously however, on the day of the event, a notice went up to say that the Stratford Centre would be closed from 11pm to 5am for ‘maintenance works’. We then found out that the police had been on the phone to the pub all afternoon, hassling them to cancel our social event and discussion about the escalating housing crisis. The pub realised that this was absurd and said no. We are clear that this is Newham Labour council and the police working together to intimidate the pub and silence our campaign. We also saw police ‘guarding’ the grounds of the local church at night, presumably to stop people from sleeping there. Of course, when we arrived at the mall there was absolutely no sign of any maintenance work. The police guarded all entrances but we led a lively and noisy demonstration just outside and told passersby what was going on. A home made quilted banner declared our solidarity with homeless people and as one Focus E15 campaigner clearly explained, ‘we are in solidarity with people facing homelessness and no intimidation by council or police will stop our campaign growing’.

What is happening to people with their housing is unacceptable. More and more people are sleeping rough or left in temporary accommodation for years on end whilst at the same time many homes are sitting empty, such as the 400 or so homes on the Carpenters Estate. Robin Wales and Newham council encourage an Olympic legacy of gentrification on the one hand and evictions and social cleansing on the other. Let us not forget that Newham is one of the least affordable boroughs for private renting in the country and has one of the worst records in London for rehousing people out of the borough: last year Newham moved 423 homeless families out of London altogether.

It is not good enough to leave people to sleep rough on our streets. Say no to street homelessness and join our campaign by getting involved in organising with us and by coming down to our weekly street stall in Stratford on the Broadway outside Wilkos from 12-2pm. Make your voice count.

East London Night of Resistance says everyone needs a home! Join us.

October 28, 2015#housingcrisis, event, housing crisis, Newham council, public actionEast London Night Of Resistance, focus E15 campaign, homeless, housing crisis, stratfordFocus E15 Campaign

On Wednesday 28 October, join Focus E15 campaign at the King Edward VII pub on the Broadway in Stratford, London E15 for East London Night of Resistance, co-hosted with East London Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism and East London Radical Assembly.

At the end of the night, we will be going to Stratford Mall to give support to the homeless people of Stratford who seek warmth and shelter and who are increasingly being moved on by police and security, as gentrification and social cleansing take hold of post-Olympic Stratford. Bring sleeping bags, thermos flasks and solidarity.

While the Carpenters Estate in Stratford has over 400 empty council homes, homelessness is on the increase. As if this scandal wasn’t bad enough, Newham is amongst the 15 least affordable areas for private renting in the country and has one of the worst records in London for rehousing people out of the borough. Last year it moved 423 homeless families out of London altogether.

Join us in the pub from 8pm and then on the streets to help build the resistance.

Focus E15 campaign will be showing a short film called Squatters which is about housing issues in London in the 1970s.

Pilar Lopez will be bringing folk music from Spanish freedom fighters. See pilarawa.wordpress.com for more information.
Janine Booth, a punk poet will be performing as well: https://m.facebook.comJanineBoothTheBigJ
Porcupine Dilemma will be playing a few acoustic numbers.

There could even be a bar room sing-along!Please join our campaigners at the end of the evening when we will be leaving together to show solidarity with the homeless in Newham with a mass sleep out. For the most up to date information see the facebook event page

We will be asking for donations to cover the cost of this event.

No to social cleansing in Redbridge! Support Bianca to stay in her community

October 11, 2015event, families, housing crisis, london, social cleansingdirect action, focus E15 campaign, Redbridge council, single mothersFocus E15 Campaign

Stand in solidarity with Bianca on Monday 12 October. Bianca is being evicted. The baliffs are coming. She wants to be rehoused in her local community near to her support networks.
Either meet at her flat at from 8.30am or at the housing office in Illford at 9.30am.

Please be aware that the press will be there -bring your banners and your voices!

Bianca’s flat address is : 304, Chadwell Heath High Rd, Romford, RM6 6 AG. Meet there at 8.30am. Nearest station to Bianca’s flat is Chadwell Heath Station, or 86 bus.

From her flat we will be organising free cabs to take people to the housing office when Bianca has her housing meeting at 9.30am.

Housing office address is: The Housing Advice Centre, 17-23 Clements Road, Ilford IG1 1AG This is the second meeting point and we will be there at 9.30am.Nearest Station to the housing office is: Ilford Station
Bus 25 86 145 147 169 W19

We urge Redbridge council to look carefully at the needs of this young family who have a child with hypermobility needs. They want to move forward with their lives in a positive way. Bianca’s child needs to remain in her school where she has completed her reception year and made friends.

Remember the council must exhaust all local possibilites first before they rehouse Bianca out of the borough.
Demand that Bianca and her children are rehoused in the local area! Email: housing.options@redbridge.gov.uk