Last weekend the community in Mile End came together to successfully overturn an eviction of a family on the homeless register by Tower Hamlets Council. Below is a brief synopsis of what happened along with the lessons learned.
A Community United: An injury for one, is an injury for all!
Last weekend I received a distressed call from Mr Ullah, a disabled pensioner with a disabled wife. I agreed to visit him after my weekly surgeries. Mr Ullah and his family are on the homeless register in Tower Hamlets, therefore currently living in temporary accommodation. Unlike other on the housing waiting list, homeless families cannot refuse an offer to be housed permanently. If they do they will be taken off the waiting list and evicted from their temporary accommodation.
When I visited Mr Ullah he informed me that he was offered a home which he did not bid. When he visited the property, he found it unsuitable, in terms of size, location and amenities for the disabled. When he informed that to the housing officer, he was told that he had no choice but to accept. If he refused he will be taken off the housing register and evicted from his current property by the Council.
It was a tense weekend for everyone concerned, long hours and late night drafting of correspondences, with Jiblu, Mr Ullah’s son running various errands (afterwards I fell ill for few days due to exhaustion). But it was also time for the community coming together and helping me Mr Ullah, special shout out goes out to Azad Miah (Chair of Mile End and Limehouse Branch Labour Party), Kamal (Secretary of Burdett Estate Mosque) and Deputy Mayor Siraj Islam.
After various conversations, exchange of correspondences with Council Officers and investigation, it was found that Mr Ullah was offered an unsuitable property, which does not meet his needs. The eviction notice was immediately withdrawn and Mr Ullah was allowed to stay in his current property.
Lessons Learned:
- Those on the housing waiting list, please check if you are on auto bidding. Auto bidding is when the computer bids for you automatically should you physically not bid for any properties on Housing Options.
- If your health conditions deteriorate, please make sure the Housing Letting team know about, through a Health Priority Application form.
- When checking properties, don’t just check the number of bedrooms but the size of the bedrooms, and the number of persons the property can accommodate.
“The role of political leadership is likely to change in the years ahead, drawing their power less from the executive power they have acquired & more from influence, helping people to see what they can achieve for themselves”
– Tony Benn
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