Go fast this Friday – hungry housing protest at Hackney Town Hall

A behind-the-banner look at a previous housing demonstration at Hackney Town Hall

This Friday a group of homeless and badly housed people, along with their supporters, is staging a day of fasting outside Hackney Council.

The fast is taking place to highlight what campaigners have described as “unsuitable and disgusting” living conditions, and the organisers of the fast, Hackney Housing Group, part of the London Coalition Against Poverty (LCAP) is asking Hackney Council to look into “housing conditions and consider the broken, mouldy, dirty homes people are forced to live in.”

Hackney resident and mother Cemilhe Agca said, “My flat is not suitable for my autistic son. I have waited 8 years to move. In 8 years, the council have never listened to me.”

Campaigners point out that nearly 2000 Hackney residents are in temporary accommodation and there are 17,604 people in overcrowded, unsuitable accommodation who “urgently” need to move.

Hackney Housing Group and their supporters are questioning why £1.3 million has been awarded to Hackney Council by the London Mayor to refurbish Kingsland Road for the 2012 Olympics when it could be spent on solving housing problems in the area.

The protest starts at 11am Friday 9 April and will end with a rally and free food at 6pm.

For more information contact: londoncoalitionagainstpoverty@gmail.com