Judge slams "hopeless" Hackney Council

From the Hackney Gazette :

A woman is celebrating after the threat of eviction from her De Beauvoir home was lifted following a bungled court bid by Hackney Council which a judge described as "hopeless."

Eco-campaigner Michelle Goldberg, 55, who lives in Lawrence Court on the De Beauvoir Estate, breathed easier this week after the council decided not to lodge an appeal over the judgement made against it at Shoreditch County Court a fortnight ago.

The council had alleged she had breached an injunction they took out against her two years ago not to harass "anyone going about their lawful activity in the London borough of Hackney."

But it blundered by failing to specify how the injunction had been breached as well as re-applying for a possession order when they should have applied for a warrant to evict.

The injunction, prohibiting "abusive or threatening behaviour," was also found to be "defective" because of discrepancies between the original draft and an amended version.

The judge threw out the application describing it as hopeless and "incontestably bad" and ordered the council to pay all Ms Goldberg's legal costs.

"The council needs to get it own house in order before it victimises others," said an angry Ms Goldberg this week.

more »

 

Christmas Demonstration for Housing

From an email:

Hi, this is the call out for the next London Coalition Against poverty
demonstration at Hackney,
x


*pls forward widely*

CALL TO ACTION: Christmas Demonstration for Housing
MONDAY THE 17TH OF DECEMBER
6 - 7:30 PM
Hackney Town Hall, Mare Street E8 [http://www.tiny.cc/vdevt]

Contact: 07932241737
londoncoalitionagainstpoverty@gmail.com

Hackney "Scrooge" won't house us: We won't be turned away


London Coalition Against Poverty (LCAP) will demonstrate at Hackney
Council's Cabinet meeting on Monday the 17th of December 6pm to 7.30
pm. As Christmas day approaches its difficult to see the seasonal
spirit in Hackney's Homeless Persons office where homeless people are
daily denied their rights and left without anywhere to go. LCAP will
demonstrate this Christmas to send a clear message to Jamie Carswell
(head of Housing strategy and deputy Mayor) that we will not tolerate
this any more. LCAP will be campaigning for change in Hackney's
dealings with the homeless for as long as it takes.

Come to the picket, there'll be some hot soup, and Christmas festivity.
Dress warm, bring noisemakers and mince pies if you like.

More info:

London Coalition against Poverty (LCAP) has been at Hackney Housing
Needs office since July 2007, and we have seen time and again that
homeless people are turned away unlawfully. By law some homeless
people have to be housed immediately but Hackney Council cares more
about balancing their budget through not housing people then about
their residents needs. They try to delay or stop people making a
homeless application. To achieve this the staff often act in an
intimidating and sometimes abusive way. Because of this "gate keeping"
at the housing needs office many vulnerable people and families are
left on the street or other insecure, dangerous places. When
accommodation or advice on how to find housing is offered by the
council its likely to be out of Hackney, often even out of London.
Hackney Council will be held accountable for their failure to house
Hackney's people.

LCAP demands:

- An end to gate keeping at Hackney HPU

- Stop the intimidation of people that approach the HPU

- Genuinely affordable housing to rent in Hackney - no more people chased
out of the borough

Jamie Carswell is scrooge!
We are the ghosts of Christmas present!

 

Halloween Picket at Hackney Council Meeting to demand housing rights

From London Coalition Against Poverty:

CALL TO ACTION: Halloween Picket at Hackney Council Meeting to demand
housing rights!

WEDNESDAY 31 OCTOBER
6 - 7:30 PM
Hackney Town Hall, Mare Street E8 [ http://www.tiny.cc/vdevt]

Contact: 07932241737
londoncoalitionagainstpoverty@gmail.com

This Halloween we demand our rights!

'A NIGHT LEFT ON MARE ST' - Hackney council turns the homeless away


London Coalition Against Poverty have called for people to picket the
Hackney Council meeting this Halloween. Hackney Council's Homeless
Person's Unit (HPU) has been systematically denying people their rights.
This picket will demand that the council immediately halt these illegal
and unjust practices.

Come show your solidarity and join in the picket! Come to the picket
dressed as something scary and send shivers up the councillor's spines -
bring noisemakers if you'd like to.


More info:

London Coalition against Poverty (LCAP) has been at Hackney Housing Needs
office since July 2007, and we have seen time and again that homeless
people are turned away unlawfully. Hackney Council cares more about
balancing their budget through not housing people then about their
residents needs. They try to delay or stop people making a homeless
application, and to achieve this the staff often act in an intimidating
and sometimes abusive way. Because of this "gate keeping" at the housing
needs office many vulnerable people and families are left on the street or
other insecure, dangerous places. Hackney Council will be held
accountable for the gatekeeping at the Housing office.

LCAP demands:

- An end to gate keeping at Hackney HPU

- Stop the intimdation of people that approach the HPU

- Genuinely affordable housing to rent in Hackney - no more people chased
out of the borough

LCAP will continue to haunt Hackney Council until these changes are made.

TRICK OR TREAT THE COUNCIL!

 

'One-star' housing boss retires after 26 years

From the Hackney Gazette:

THE chief executive of Hackney Homes, Steve Tucker, retired last week after the borough's housing authority achieved just a one-star performance rating earlier this month.

Mr Tucker had been in the post since November, 2005, and worked for the council for 26 years.

more »

 

Roofless!

From the Hackney Gazette:

A MENTALLY ill man slept rough for five nights in a public park because the council failed to fulfil its statutory duty to find him emergency housing, it was claimed this week.

His case is not an isolated example, according to a homeless campaign group, which has accused Hackney's Homeless Persons Unit of operating a "gate-keeping" policy towards those in urgent need of a roof over their heads.

David Brewster, 54, who is being treated by his doctor for clinical depression, says he spent five nights sleeping in bushes in Butterfield Green, Stoke Newington, after he applied, penniless and desperate for somewhere to stay, to the homeless persons unit.

more »