SOCIAL HOUSING NOT SOCIAL CLEANSING

The “Focus E15” campaign looks at a group of homeless single mothers and their children in Stratford who were forced onto the streets involuntarily when the hostel they were living at was closed as its funding had been cut. The mother’s were told by the Council that it was unlikely social housing would be found in London (as we are experiencing a shortage) but could be rehoused as far as Hastings, Manchester and Birmingham, leaving them alienated from their own communities. The mother’s took initiative by forcing their way into the abandoned homes at the Carpenters estate which was closed down for redevelopment.  

Taken from an article written by The Independent, the single mothers, “ended up having to force their way into abandoned homes” (The Independent) onto the Carpenters estate in a desperate attempt to secure shelter in London and not be moved hundreds of miles away from their families and friends who are these women’s support systems. According to The Independent, this protest “Is symbolic of the way many others are being treated. Their tale is one that reflects the fortunes of  low-income households across the UK, and the dismantling of the social housing that used to keep them in their communities.” (The Independent). The realisation that the same type of issue is happening all around the UK everyday is alarming, as the social housing becomes less and less due to Government spending cuts and the changes to the law with “affordable rents” that saw social housing rent prices soar from 50% of the market rates to up to an 80%. This is an example of how our country is attempting to gentrify the whole UK by introducing changes to the law which makes it difficult for low-income families to afford rent prices, especially if tenants live in an area that becomes fashionable or sought-after place to live, such as Stratford after the Olympics. It is unfair that communities who have lived in an area such as Stratford their entire lives have to be moved on to lower income areas as they cannot afford the housing prices with “Councils in high-rent areas say they have no option but to move their tenants to areas of lower rent, plucking families out of their communities.” (The Independent). This statement is difficult to comprehend with one of the Councillors of Newham Council responding to the FOCUS E15 group moving into the abandoned homes stated “It is disappointing to see empty homes in the Carpenters Estate being occupied by agitators and hangers on.” It is appalling that these are single mothers with CHILDREN that are being referred to as “hangers on” as they do not wish to leave their area and move hundreds of miles away. One of the mothers work for the NHS and said it would be difficult for her to maintain her 45 hours work shift if her mum wasn’t available to look after her child as she cannot afford childcare. These are women who are trying to contribute to our economy and our Government are unable to accommodate special cases and individuals who are crying out for help, as their needs no longer fit with the agenda of a gentrified Stratford with no “hangers on”. We need to stop White-washing our communities under capitalism and investment and focus on the real issues of our communities as that’s where the real change lies, with our future NOT the £9 billion pound investment Stratford received.

The shift in Power-geometry creates an understanding to flows and movement of social groups as power is shifted geographically from “The City” or the Capital, into East London as it becomes a new area seen to be “up-and-coming”. Power is produced through investment and redevelopments of areas such as Stratford by large corporations and Government spending enabling them the control over the area as Power is shifted through time-space compression. Capitalism in relation to “The City” expands through time-space compression as ‘control’ over an area becomes easier through technologies and easier transport links, inevitably expanding the power of “the City” by using up more space geographically, and pushing out social groups and individuals by disenfranchising their power of living in their area.

The idea of Power-geometry can be symbolised by the blockbuster movies “The Hunger Games” as “The Capital” being central to all the power of the surrounding districts, it becomes more and more powerful as it takes more space geographically, in the movie, the Capital also has the power to “wipe out” one of the districts as they are not conforming to the rules governed by the Capital. This is currently happening in Stratford as it is being consumed by Capitalism and creating revenue, its alienating its communities and removing their power by forcing  them out of their homes and cutting their social housing funding. The question existing is what will happen to Stratford when another Area of London becomes gentrified and “popular”, what will be left of the community and businesses then when the area no longer creates a need for The City.

Bibliography

http://img.rt.com/files/news/2e/62/40/00/mothers-occupy-london-tower2.si.jpg

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/e15-occupation-we-shall-not-be-moved-say-stratford-single-parents-fighting-eviction-after-occupying-empty-homes-9761186.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/russell-brand-pledges-support-to-focus-e15-campaign-as-mums-battle-to-fight-eviction-from-social-housing-in-east-london-9771910.html

- Conor Griffin 

Gentrification of a Nation

Image taken by Conor Griffin, Brixton London. 

The 2012 Olympics brought huge investment into the town of Stratford with a reported £9 Billion pounds being spent on the Olympics and renovation. The economic injection of funds has benefited the economy on a macro scale by bringing in massive revenues and overseas investment to East London. 

It has however had a negative effect on the residents and surrounding areas of Stratford who are subsequently being forced out of the area due to its rising house prices and cost of living. This form of gentrification can be found in not only Stratford but many other areas of London, such as Brixton. I recently visited Brixton and spoke to the community workers who are currently facing the same situation in their area as developers are moving in, disrupting the community and attempting to redevelop the area, consequently increasing housing prices and living costs in the area.

The wasteland and industrial space that the Olympic park is situated on could have been used effectively to tackle the housing shortage that London is currently facing. However developments focused their market to overseas investors and Middle class London residents, in favour of Capitalism as it benefits the economy on a macro scale, boosting London’s economy as a whole instead of benefiting the working class residents of Stratford and locals in surrounding areas who are in search of housing, particularly affordable and social housing.

Since the 2012 Olympic games, it appears Stratford has been subjected to a shift in social class, from its origin as working class background into a suburban playground for the middle class and tourists. The gentrification is visible by the genre of shops within Westfield who target a middle-upper class demographic with designer stores flooding the enormous shopping centre. In addition, grocery stores such as Marks and Spencers and Waitrose are situated within westfield who are renown for producing “luxury” food items at a relatively expensive price in comparison to the Sainsburys which can be found in the old Stratford centre and Morrisons nearby, who attempt to offer affordable pricing. As a result, this type of gentrification of an area has influenced the stall traders of the Old Stratford centre as stalls can be found selling fine cheeses and foods, which is a far cry from the fruit and veg produce and market clothing that used to run through the Old Centre, essentially losing its East-End appeal and conforming to the hegemonic ideas of what Stratford now represents.

As London is forming into a Supercity, its losing its integrity as it becomes difficult to define what “London” is as it is changing geographically, specifically Stratford as its architecture and physical landscape is redesigned to replicate a “Metropolis” like many other parts of London. Time-space compression is created through enhanced transport links and technological advancements decreasing the physical space of “London” as Stratford no longer emplifies its East-End characteristics but becomes a product of “The City”, a surface of modern architecture and glamorous visuals with no depth of its history or the communities and cultures it replaced. As a result of globalisation, communities and representations of areas and cultures become fractured such as the “East-End” and what it represented becomes a nostalgic memory of a time that once was.

- Conor Griffin