Hackney People's Press: Takeover Threat to Resident-run Hostel
Object
Newspaper
Production date
January 1978
Object number
2026.17
Physical Description
Hackney People's Press newspaper (Takeover Threat to Resident-run Hostel) January 1978 No. 29
Object history
Hackney People's Press was a local left wing newspaper published between 1973 and 1985. Hackney People's Press was formed through a merger between two radical newspapers, Hackney Gutter Press and Hackney Action, which were published in the early 1970s. The paper was known for covering both social and political topics, such as anti-racism, women's rights, council housing and policing.
Associated Organisation
Hackney People's Press (Publisher)
Material
Paper
Dimension
Height (Cover): 417mm
Width (Cover): 316mm
Width (Cover): 316mm
On display?
No
Inscription
Takeover threat to Resident-run Hostel
Several houses in Lansdowne Drive, E8, one on Trederwen Road and three in Ivydene Road have been run for the past three to four years as hostel accommodation for homeless people, mainly single people. Residents get three meals a day, heating, lighting, laundry, a television room. All this, plus dealings with Social Services wanting to refer people, and Social Security who in many cases pay the rent, is handled by Carmel Carter for a group of the people who live there. She has lived there for four years, since the houses were licensed to the Novo Housing Association, when she used to help them with secretarial and general duties.
But disaster struck when Novo was caught up in a splurge of publicity and scandal in Spring 1977. Allegations were made that certain small housing associations, in particular one called Second Genesis (and Novo was mentioned in relation to this) were making huge profits out of running hostels. They were getting new houses on short-term license from the GLC and letting rooms to homeless families, single people, or, as in the case of Novo, ex-offenders. The conditions in some of these houses were scandalous and residents were said to have been terrorised into silence. The Irani brothers of Novo, and Paddy O'Connor, who was a Labour GLC member, were accused, although their case has never come to court.
Novo were evicted on 1 October 1977, and the GLC wanted to put the hostel under the management of the ROMA Housing Association. However, Caramel and the committee persuaded Mr Bennett, GLC Housing Director, who actually turned up in person on 1 October, to give them permission to run it themselves for a few weeks on a trial basis. Carmel has worked hard to strengthen the committee and give it more standing, but they are now threatened with eviction because they are refusing to be taken over by the ROMA Housing Association.
Those who refuse to stay under ROMA's rule may be evicted once the GLC have obtained a Possession Order.
The GLC are offering to house any families or couples. Any of the single people who don't want to accept the new management will not be rehoused, so it seems they won't have much choice.
Carmel and the others feel it is their home as well as their work and are determined not to be displaced. She shows photos of how the houses were before Novo took them over in 1973 - derelict and a heap of refuse. The total amount given to Novo in grants over the four years was no more than is commonly spent by borough councils on renovating one house. The new committee are confident of their ability to carry on running the houses.
Several houses in Lansdowne Drive, E8, one on Trederwen Road and three in Ivydene Road have been run for the past three to four years as hostel accommodation for homeless people, mainly single people. Residents get three meals a day, heating, lighting, laundry, a television room. All this, plus dealings with Social Services wanting to refer people, and Social Security who in many cases pay the rent, is handled by Carmel Carter for a group of the people who live there. She has lived there for four years, since the houses were licensed to the Novo Housing Association, when she used to help them with secretarial and general duties.
But disaster struck when Novo was caught up in a splurge of publicity and scandal in Spring 1977. Allegations were made that certain small housing associations, in particular one called Second Genesis (and Novo was mentioned in relation to this) were making huge profits out of running hostels. They were getting new houses on short-term license from the GLC and letting rooms to homeless families, single people, or, as in the case of Novo, ex-offenders. The conditions in some of these houses were scandalous and residents were said to have been terrorised into silence. The Irani brothers of Novo, and Paddy O'Connor, who was a Labour GLC member, were accused, although their case has never come to court.
Novo were evicted on 1 October 1977, and the GLC wanted to put the hostel under the management of the ROMA Housing Association. However, Caramel and the committee persuaded Mr Bennett, GLC Housing Director, who actually turned up in person on 1 October, to give them permission to run it themselves for a few weeks on a trial basis. Carmel has worked hard to strengthen the committee and give it more standing, but they are now threatened with eviction because they are refusing to be taken over by the ROMA Housing Association.
Those who refuse to stay under ROMA's rule may be evicted once the GLC have obtained a Possession Order.
The GLC are offering to house any families or couples. Any of the single people who don't want to accept the new management will not be rehoused, so it seems they won't have much choice.
Carmel and the others feel it is their home as well as their work and are determined not to be displaced. She shows photos of how the houses were before Novo took them over in 1973 - derelict and a heap of refuse. The total amount given to Novo in grants over the four years was no more than is commonly spent by borough councils on renovating one house. The new committee are confident of their ability to carry on running the houses.