Occupation in Barnet continues London housing fightback

The occupation on Sweets Way (Pic: Barnet Housing Action Group)

---

Tenants and supporters have occupied a newly empty house on the Sweets Way estate in Barnet, north London.

Landlord Barnet Homes is evicting people to make way for redevelopment. Developer Annington Homes wants to clear out 150 homes to replace the estate with expensive private housing. 

Most residents have been evicted and stay in temporary accommodation. But Rejane Barbosa is still there. 

She said, “How does Barnet Homes justify demolishing 150 family homes, while leaving the community who have been living there for more than five years with nowhere to go?”

In south London tenants on the Aylesbury estate and their supporters were set to protest on Saturday of this week against plans to knock it down.

The protest is backed by Defend Council Housing (DCH) and other campaigns.

They want the Aylesbury to be renovated and kept as mostly council housing.

Eileen Short from DCH told Socialist Worker, “The squeeze on housing is getting worse and people’s confidence to do something about it is going up. 

“The Aylesbury is a front line because it’s a big estate threatened with demolition and the loss of many homes. We need to unite and draw together all the campaigns into a movement that can put real pressure on the politicians.”