Protesters stage Town Hall takeover in solidarity demo for Marian Court residents

Protesters disrupted a meeting of Hackney’s top councillors and took control of the Town Hall steps for hours last night in a demonstration of solidarity with two families living in an up-for-demolition Homerton council block.

Mayor Philip Glanville was interrupted as he conducted a Hackney Council cabinet meeting by the London Renters Union and East End Sisters Uncut, who spoke out in support of Marian Court residents Margaret Mongan and Shahbana Bibi.

Chants of “Housing is a human right, here to stay, here to fight,” as well as cries of “Shame” on Hackney Council and Mayor Glanville were heard from the hundreds of protesters on the Town Hall steps, there in protest at the continued failure to rehouse Mongan, Bibi and their families.

Bibi said: “I have hit such lows in this situation and at many times felt like giving up, but thankfully I have so much support which has helped me through this.

“Thank you to East End Sisters Uncut, the London Renters Union, and to all the individuals that have taken an interest in my situation and supported me.

“I am humbled by all the support and would like to extend my gratitude to all those who are assisting me in challenging this injustice.”

Mongan said: “I was left waiting when people who had moved in after me were housed first. I was offered accommodation near my ex-husband, who almost killed me through domestic violence before.

“This should be all on their system. I have an injunction for life against him keeping him away from me and my children. It knocked me down and hurt my feelings.

“I have a disabled mother at home, who’s been in hospital non-stop due to all the stress of this. All the council can say is that they’re sorry, but I don’t feel that they are. It’s not good enough. The Mayor of Hackney has to help.”

The Town Hall’s attempts to find suitable homes for Marian Court residents Shahbana Bibi and Margaret Mongan and their dependents have been plagued with problems for over a year.

After failing to find a home that meets the complex needs of her family, in particular her daughter who has cerebral palsy and other health needs, Mongan and her children were offered a property viewing in the same block as her violently abusive ex-partner, for which the council later apologised.

The Town Hall has now discharged its duty to house Bibi on the strength of a supportive email from Hackney South MP Meg Hillier, which had said that her constituent did not want to move into a Richmond Road property which had been found vandalised and covered in graffiti on viewing it.

A suitability review of the property offered to Bibi is now being carried out, with council and resident disagreeing as to the number of offers of housing she has so far been made.

The mother-of-four, who wears a full-face veil, has also expressed her fear at the prospect of a move to Richmond Road after police investigated an incident of Islamophobic abuse against herself and her family in the immediate vicinity.

An East End Sisters Uncut spokesperson said in July: “Both Margaret and Shahbana’s cases clearly show that the Hackney Council housing department completely disregards the previous traumatic experiences of vulnerable tenants when managing their housing situation.

“Domestic violence and Islamophobic assaults are serious traumas that should inform the way the council houses tenants, and yet they have been ignored or dismissed as ‘personal preference’.”

The Town Hall has also moved to dismiss claims that Bibi’s campaigning has influenced its treatment towards her, stressing that the 42 families it has been supporting from the block have received “the same level of support.”

The demolition of Marian Court is part of a wider regeneration on the Bridge House and Marian Court estate by the council, after the block was deemed beyond economic repair.

The new block is set to contain 56.88 per cent affordable housing, with 20 per cent of the planned 160 homes for social rent.

The crowd at last night’s demonstrations also contained representatives from Hackney Green Party and union United Voices of the World, as London Renters Union disseminated information on how to prevent evictions.

LRU activists stood in the public gallery with fists in the air in an attempt to draw the attention of the borough’s politicians to the collective action being undertaken outside.

Standing to speak, LRU member Danny Hayward said: “Sorry to interrupt. I’m going to make a very brief statement, and won’t take up too much of your time.

“As some of you may know, there’s a protest going on outside today. We are here to draw the council’s attention to it, and to the treatment of Shahbana Bibi and Margaret Mongan, residents of Marian Court.

“Ms Bibi in particular has been threatened with voluntary homelessness by an unelected officer of the council on the basis of support from her elected MP. She is being punished because she spoke out.

“This is a travesty of a responsible approach to the housing needs of vulnerable people in our borough. We call on the council as fellow union members to rectify the situation as quickly as possible.

“We welcome discussion with members of the council who want to take this issue seriously. No-one in our borough should be victimised for demanding what should be available for all.”

A Hackney Green Party spokesperson added: “We are here today to show Hackney Council that they cannot bully local residents into accepting unsuitable and unsafe accommodation.

“Hackney Green Party are committed to fighting for the rights of local residents and will continue to campaign to solve the housing crisis.”

In an unusual move, Mayor Philip Glanville asked council chief executive Tim Shields to respond directly to the protesters’ statements, going on to “pay tribute to the demonstrators and the spirit in which they made their protest.”

Shields said: “Obviously I’m limited in what I can say given the process that we are going through. A suitability review is currently being carried out, and is being undertaken by the head of the housing benefits team.

“A final decision on this review has not been made. The solicitors have been informed and have been given till the ned of this month to provide further representations.

“Due to the ongoing suitability review, we can’t comment much further on these cases.”

The protest comes some four days after the Hackney Mayor publicly thanked one of his cabinet for making a “timely intervention” in support of Bibi via a group email.

It is understood Cllr Guy Nicholson (Lab, Homerton), cabinet member for planning, culture and inclusive economy, was writing in his capacity as Bibi’s ward councillor, in his email to top council officials, councillors, the London Renters Union and the press.

Cllr Nicholson said: “My immediate concern is for the wellbeing of the family and the longer this matter remains unresolved the worst the impact on the health and wellbeing of the children and on Shahbana herself.

“I understand that the family’s health, let alone their wellbeing, is now in sharp decline. I am also aware of the reputational and institutional risk to the council itself which has a commendable record as a sensitive, considered, caring and compassionate social landlord.

“I am of course more than happy to take a discussion forward to explore how the logjam can be undone.

“However, at the very least can I seek some assurances from the council on next steps and what form a meaningful offer of an appropriate new home might be able to take to conclude the current conundrum that Shahbana and her family find themselves in.”

A Council spokesperson said: “Ms Bibi and her family have been living in temporary accommodation since they approached the Council as homeless and, despite the huge shortage of family homes in Hackney, we have been determined to find them a safe and affordable place to live in the borough.

“We offered Ms Bibi’s family a terraced house with a garden for social rent on a permanent tenancy, and carried out extensive work to ensure it meets the family’s needs before they move in. Ms Bibi has submitted a review of the suitability of this offer of accommodation, which is now being considered.

“Safety is always a top priority when we allocate homes, and we would never house a family in a home where we have any evidence that they would be at an increased risk of abuse or harassment.

“We of course do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, and have listened to Ms Bibi and sought to discount parts of the borough where she has previously been victimised and liaised closely with the police to fully understand her concerns around whether she would be safe in this home.

“With over 13,000 households on our housing waiting list, desperately in need of good, quality, affordable social homes, Hackney like other boroughs in the capital is at the forefront of the national housing crisis. With such high levels of need and demand for social housing, the council always ensures that its allocation policy is applied objectively and on the basis of need.”