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Hackney Council's New Agenda 2004

Hackney I.W.C.A. Activist | 10.03.2004 21:28 | Indymedia | Social Struggles | London

Hackney Council's New Contracts With Housing Associations (Squatters To Be Evicted From Hackney's Properties In Due Course.

A meeting has just ended in the Stamford Hill area on the Summit Estate,N16. There were also meetings going on at the following estates, Webb Estate, Wrens Park House, Pembury Estate, Nightingale Estate, Fawcett Estate as well as other estates in the North Hackney area. Paddington Churches Housing Association have had their contract with Hackney Council renewed and they will control all the estates in the following areas (Stamford Hill, Manor House, Upper Clapton, Lower Clapton and Stoke Newington. Other Housing Associations will be responsible for other areas in Hackney. At the meeting their were delegates from P.C.H.A. Peabody Trust, Augustus Israeli Housing Association, New Islington & Hackney and some others. One of the items brought up was the problem with squatters on estates in Hackney and all were in agreement that in the near future squatters would be evicted from all estates managed by the above Housing Associations. The following items were put forward by members of several tenants associations as well as Hackney Council. The council intend to get their estate cleaners to inform on anyone attempting to occupy any voided property on any estate controlled by the above contracted Housing Associations. Representatives from P.C.H.A. informed the meeting that they intended to provide a warden service on each estate during the night to prevent anyone attempting to squat an empty home. While this was being said there was a disturbance outside the Summit Community Hall between a tenant and a number of the P.C.H.A. wardens. The tenant was demanding access to the meeting and was informed that the tenants association didn't want him at the meeting which was an open meeting, the excuse given was that they didn't want the meeting disrupted by this tenant. Various members of other tenants associations mentioned that all squatters were only drug dealers and lots of people complained with various stories about squatters on their estates, the council and their contractors stated that they intended to begin evicting squatters in the next few weeks, tenants have basically been asked to grass up squatters or anyone attempting to squat. Wardens will also be employed as night watchmen on estates to ensure that anyone trying to squat is prevented from doing so. This is obviously an attack on all who squat in the borough and there will be meeting in the South of Hackney shortly. Some of the claims made by the reps of the housing associations were complete bollocks, they insisted that we as tenants were paying for the damage done by those who squatted where clean up operations cost council tax payers and the council after each eviction. When those at the meeting were asked their view on evictions, the majority voted for Hackney Council to start the evictions. Again a disturbance was taking place outside the hall with shouting from those responsible stating that not all squatters were drug dealers or druggies, some had families, small children, one of the protestors outside the community hall was heard shouting that anyone who voted to evict any squatters with children were scum. There was another arguement between a number of tenants and P.C.H.A. wardens, one of the protestors was heard saying "Who the fuck do you think you lot are the fucking Guardian Angels? Well they do wear the red jackets, all their missing are the red berets. The police arrived on the estate and one tenant was moved on away from the hall. The person concerned hopefully will post up what happened later..

Hackney I.W.C.A. Activist
- e-mail: PhantomX2@hotmail.com

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Cheers for

12.03.2004 12:02

posting this up, Phantomx. Sorry I couldn't get to that meeting myself.

This and your previous comments have been really good info. One little request - if you do post any more, can you please split your work up into paragraphs? Would make it a lot easier to read.

Either way, please keep reporting.

Harry Nelson