News
03 February 2010
TENANTS in affordable housing across five London boroughs have vowed to fight a proposal to sell their homes and are now planning a demonstration on Saturday (Feb 6).
The tenants whose properties are owned and managed by The Crown Estate - which manages property on behalf of the monarchy - in the boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Camden, Westminster and Lewisham received a letter informing them of plans to sell the freehold and management of their homes to a new owner.
Residents have launched a campaign to oppose this sell off and the potential break up of their communities.
The houses and flats in Victoria Park, Millbank, Cumberland Market near Regent's Park and Lee Green have been rented to key-workers and their families since the 1960s.
Residents fear that if their homes are sold to a private landlord rents will increase and keyworkers will be forced out.
Joannie Andrews, the chair of the Victoria Park Crown Residents Association, said: "Since the 1960s a lot of the tenants here have been teachers, social workers and other keyworkers who made a huge contribution to the improvement of what was until fairly recently a predominantly working class area in Hackney and Bethnal Green.
"Some of these people - many of whom still live on the estate - are now quite elderly and vulnerable.
"Over the years a real sense of community has been built up in these streets, and as younger workers and their families have moved in there's a really nice social mix which is increasingly rare to find.
"We've been given a 'consultation period' of just eight weeks, but this must have been under consideration for quite some time. People I've spoken to are really shocked and worried for their future."
A spokesman for The Crown Estate stressed it was just a proposal at this stage and no decision had yet been taken.
"It is important to note that, should these properties be sold to a new owner, existing tenancies will remain in place."
He said the Crown Estate had a duty to maximise the income it generates for the UK taxpayer and following a recent review of its residential estates considered that might be better achieved through the sale of the freeholds to a focused provider with experience of managing this type of housing.
The consultation will run until March 23.