Three years ago, a homeless mother and her twin children, were placed by Newham Council in a privately rented house in East Ham. In August 2018, the owner sold the house and Racheal and her twins were told they would have to move out. Anxiously, they sought advice from East Ham housing office. What were they to do now?
Advice was not forthcoming despite the fact that the twins attend a local school in Stratford and Racheal is working in Newham. Racheal says has heard about people being shipped out of the borough for rehousing. She is scared that this will happen to her. The stress of losing everything, her home, her job, the children’s schools and all her friends and connections has been making her ill.
In September last year Racheal received the official notice to quit and she has subsequently been sent a court eviction notice for Monday 18 February 2019.
Racheal went with this information to Bridge House homelessness unit to seek advice, but without an appointment they wouldn’t even let her in the building to ask any questions to assess her options. She has no case worker. The only thing that Rachel was told is that she needs to pack up her stuff, put it all into storage (at her own expense) and on Monday 18 February she should present herself to Bridge House homelessness unit, as she and her children will indeed be homeless.
Leaving housing decision like this to the very last minute causes a huge amount of stress. It was the council that housed this family in the private rented sector and if this home is no longer available, it would seem logical that the council must rehouse this family as soon as possible and before 18 February. But, under the Localism Act, the council discharges its duty when placing people in the private rented sector. This means they won’t help when such a placement goes wrong. A new homelessness application must be submitted.
However under the Homelessness Prevention Act the council should intervene. It is the humane thing to do! We must also stress that every local option for housing must be investigated before the family face social cleansing and potential destitution outside of London.
Racheal has found support for her case and she has not given up!She has an appointment at Bridge house for Friday 15 February.
We demand that Newham Council, Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz and cabinet member for housing John Gray, act swiftly to remedy this situation and house Racheal and her children in Newham with their support networks, family and community, school and job.
Picture from a banner by Andrew Cooper
Focus E15 Campaign 
Happened to my daughter too. They sent her to a homeless hostel in Parsons Green. When the incident happened in the tube the council fussed about the welfare of all their permanent tenants and forgot to check everyone in the hostel. Like they didn’t matter. Then eventually they were moved into yet another leaseholders flat sub let through the temporary housing scheme. The only difference is the flat they were evicted from was managed by a housing association and the current one is managed by the council. My daughter and family are now entering their nonetheless year of temporary temporary housing tenancies. Should this leaseholder decide to sell what will happen to them. The housing lottery and marginalisation of hard working citizens goes on and on and on. There needs not only to be a rent cap. There needs to be a limit to how long any one should live in temporary limboland. Three to five years should be the absolute limit. This wouldn’t be tolerated in employment law. What makes council think they can treat people so cheaply. Grrrrrrrr !!!
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Reblogged this on Wessex Solidarity.
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