More than 150 residents in a London apartment block are facing eviction just weeks before Christmas, after being served with no-fault eviction notices for supposed refurbishment works.
Tenants at Vive Living in Deptford have been given Section 21 notices by their landlord, the Aitch Group, ordering them to leave their homes within four months.
Residents argue the claimed refurbishment works cannot be justified, as the building only opened seven years ago.
Some tenants moved into the building as recently as three weeks ago, with one resident receiving an eviction notice just two hours after signing her tenancy agreement.
Vive Living in Deptford
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Maryam Ahmed, 32, who moved into the building six months ago, told The Independent how the eviction notice has “turned my life upside down”.
The learning and development professional is dealing with significant health issues, including loss of use of her dominant right hand.
“Instead of focusing on my health and recovery, I find myself scrambling to pack up my belongings – one-handed – and searching for a new place to live,” she said.
Paulo Clemente, who runs the building’s café, has been forced to close his business before Christmas despite his flat tenancy running until April. He said: “Without that job, I can’t pay my bills and I don’t have anything. We will be without a job and a home.”
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Labour’s Lewisham North MP Vicky Foxcroft
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Five local councillors and Labour’s Lewisham North MP Vicky Foxcroft have demanded a meeting with property management company Aitch Group.
In a joint letter, they condemned the management company’s actions, saying: “This is not a fair or respectful way to treat people who you are asking to leave properties which, in many cases, have been their homes for several years.”
Aitch Group, owned by payday loan baron Henry Smith, has declined to elaborate on the planned refurbishments.
A spokesman for Aitch Group told The Independent: “The tenants have been given two months’ notice, as a minimum, in accordance with their tenancy agreements. We are working with residents to assist them with their relocations.”
Shelter has issued a warning over homelessness
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The evictions come amid a growing homelessness crisis in England, with recent research from Shelter revealing a 14 per cent increase in homelessness over the past year.
The charity estimates that on any given night, more than 354,000 people in England are homeless – equivalent to one in 160 people. London faces the highest ratio, with one in 47 people experiencing homelessness.
Polly Neate, Shelter’s chief executive, said: “It’s unimaginable that so many people would spend this winter homeless, whether on the streets or in a mouldy hostel room.”
The crisis particularly affects children, with 161,500 currently homeless according to Shelter’s figures. A government spokesperson called the homelessness figures “shocking” and acknowledged “the devastating reality of the homelessness crisis which we have inherited.”
“No one should have to spend Christmas without a home, and this government is taking urgent action to get us back on track to ending homelessness, including committing £1bn in funding to support homelessness services,” they said.
