Protesters hold sit-in as council delays rehousing family of seven living in one-bedroomed flat

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

Protesters held a sit-in at a council’s offices on Friday over its delays in rehousing a family-of-seven living in a one-bedroomed flat covered in mould. 

About 50 protesters from campaign group Housing Action Lambeth and Southwark (HASL) staged a two-and-a-half hour demonstration inside Lambeth council’s civic centre in support of Amin Nuru, 42, his wife and five children. 

The family have been living in the privately rented flat in Brixton for almost a year, but claim the property is making their baby daughter ill. Their 11-month old daughter, Dareen, has been admitted to hospital six times with breathing difficulties. 

Mr Nuru, 42, said: “When she was born she had a hole in her heart and she still has problems breathing. The mould is very bad. It’s everywhere in the house.

“We want the council to rehouse us. They’ve not helped us. They told us we’re not an emergency. They’ve given us a band B. We’ve looked at four bedroom and even three bedroom private housing, but we can’t afford it. The rent is too much.” 

Supporters of Mr Nuru’s family arrived at Lambeth’s civic centre in Brixton at 10am and demanded a meeting with a housing manager. According to a HASL representative they were initially told relevant staff were working from home. 

Around an hour-and-a-quarter after the demonstration began, police arrived at the building and tried to negotiate with protesters and council staff. Eventually a council official came out to speak to protesters and the family, but then walked away after failing to reach an agreement with them. 

At just after noon, a housing manager agreed to meet Mr Nuru in private to discuss his case. According to HASL, during the discussion the manager agreed to review the family’s case individually and come to a decision on it within two weeks. 

Elizabeth Wyatt, HASL member, said: “Why is Lambeth council failing to use their powers to take on slum landlords and protect some of our borough’s most vulnerable people? 

“The council’s own housing policy allows for urgent re-housing in emergency situations like this, but the council is refusing to implement its own policy. 

“What are the family supposed to do? They cannot simply wait for their baby daughter to be hospitalised again.” 

A Lambeth Council spokesman said: “We understand the distress caused by this family’s situation, and we have fully taken account of their medical and overcrowding issues in assessing their housing transfer application. They have therefore been allocated a higher priority band B, which applies to households with an urgent medical need. 

“Lambeth’s medical team has also approved the family for level-access ground-floor properties, CAT3. This indicates that their present living conditions are affecting their health, and a move is recommended to improve their health. 

“Lambeth does everything it can to find the most suitable homes available for families who come to us for help, but in the face of high demand and a severe shortage of social housing, this will often take some time. 

“We are working hard to help find a new home for Mr Nuru and his family, but there are many applicants seeking family homes of this size and very few homes available.”

Pictured top: Sit-in at Lambeth Civic Centre in support of Amin Nuru and his family (Picture: Robert Firth)