Submitted by Matthew on 24 September, 2014 - 11:05
Author: Gerry Bates
The Focus E15 Mothers campaign has occupied empty property on the Carpenters estate near Stratford station.
The women started their social housing campaign last year when Newham council evicted them from a hostel for young parents and said they would have to move out of London. They won the right to take up temporary private housing tenancies but these end soon. Meanwhile large parts of housing on the Carpenters estate lies empty, and Newham council’s housing waiting list is 24,000.
The women report that the flats on the Carpenters-estate are clean, well decorated and one even had a new kitchen. Why are so many homeless while these flats stand empty?
The occupiers plan to stay in the space and open it up to use for the community.
