Camden & One Housing Group - Stop the unethical "No Fault" (Section 21) Evictions!

Camden & One Housing Group - Stop the unethical "No Fault" (Section 21) Evictions!

Started
5 June 2019
Petition to
STEVE DOUGLAS (Chairman of "One Housing Group" board) and 3 others
Signatures: 85Next Goal: 100
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Why this petition matters

Started by OHG Camden Tenants

A "Section 21" notice allows a landlord to give just 2 months of notice to a tenant on a "assured shorthold tenancy" (the most common type of tenancy in the UK) to leave their homes - without having done anything wrong, and without explanation! It's unethical and inhumane, and the UK Government agree - having announced on 15 April 2019 that they intend to end the practice in the near future (although that may take 1-2 years).

10 April

I received a section 21 eviction notice from my landlord "One Housing Group" on 10 April (which bad luck would have it was also my birthday). The 1-line email read (verbatim): "Hi both, Please find section 21 attached, which requires you to leave a property on 1st of July 2019. Best regards [One Housing employee's name]" and offered no explanation or reason. Instead of taking the news lying down, and accepting it as fate, we decided to fight for the right to stay in our home by reaching out to our neighbours, to the London Renter's Union, to veteran housing advocates, and to you! Will you join us and put an end to this still currently lawful (but quite awful) eviction?

10 June

We ask our social landlord, a housing charity and housing association "One Housing Group" to do the right thing and remember that their reason for being is to house people, not to throw them out of their homes. On 10 June we asked - they said no - and offloaded responsibility to Camden Council, saying the "order" to evict originated with them.

In the media: http://camdennewjournal.com/article/neighbours-join-section-21-appeal-at-housing-associations-offices

10 July

We went before Camden Council with a deputation on 10 July, and asked them (specifically Councillor and Cabinet Member for Better Homes - Meric Apak & Council leader Georgia Gould) to right the wrong that their Housing Officers made, when they instructed One Housing to evict us and 3 other households. Camden Council themselves voted on a motion to abolish the use of Section 21 evictions on 8 April - 2 days before we received the Section 21! While the majority of Councillors spoke in our support, the ultimate decision maker, Meric Apak, instead read a prepared statement that didn't address our deputation, and suggested it was a mere inconvenience to move, and that some tenants are more deserving of a home than others. 

In the media: http://camdennewjournal.com/article/stop-the-evictions-camden-resolves-to-campaign-against-section-21-notices

& http://camdennewjournal.com/article/camden-accused-of-triggering-no-fault-eviction-despite-section-21-opposition

So the fight continues! We're contacting the Councillors who supported us to form an alliance that will protect all renters against these kinds of abuses

Please sign the petition - and be in touch with us at ohgcamdentenants@gmail.com

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Signatures: 85Next Goal: 100
Support now
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Decision-Makers

  • STEVE DOUGLASChairman of "One Housing Group" board
  • RICHARD HILLCEO of "One Housing Group"
  • Meric ApakCamden Councillor, "Cabinet member for Better Homes"
  • Georgina GouldCamden Councillor, Leader of Camden Council