On Tuesday our Newham and Leytonstone took action to demand an end to mistreatment of renters in temporary accommodation by Newham Council. Our members spoke powerfully about the failures of the temporary accommodation system.

As a result of Tuesday’s action, we’ve secured a meeting with senior managers and the council Cabinet lead for housing to discuss the way forward for our members.

Why did we take action?

Several members of our Newham & Leytonstone branch who live in temporary accommodation are being mistreated by Newham Council and are living in constant fear of homelessness.

Meanwhile the private landlords who provide the homes to the council make massive profits but don’t have to provide the proper standards because the properties are classed as “temporary accommodation”.

Margrate and her son Peter were forcibly displaced to Bradford after struggling with the rent in their temporary accommodation.

One family has been living in ‘temporary’ accommodation for over 20 years and now the Council is refusing to house them any more after they complained about disrepair.

London Renters Union (LRU) members living in temporary accommodation have also faced ‘revenge eviction’ after they complained about property conditions.

Temporary accommodation landlords make profits that are paid by public funds as councils are forced to privately house people due to a lack of council homes. Instead of providing the homes themselves, Newham council paid landlords up to £61,100,000 in 2017/18, more than any other council, to provide temporary accommodation. Much of this accommodation is substandard and extortionate.

14,535 people in Newham live in temporary accommodation, more than any other local authority in England.  

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