It was the strength of our campaign to Stop the Boris Evictions that has led to the current halt (Evictions called off, October 30).
In response to our petition (now at 1,805 names) the Mayor of London stopped his eviction of nurses, care workers, school caretakers, classroom assistants and their families just hours just hours before they were due to take place at Raynesfield, Raynes Park.
Unfortunately, 16 families have already been pushed out.
I have heard heart rending stories of families being broken up, of possessions being put into storage, given away or abandoned and of mature working people having to move into inadequate accommodation such as the box room of a relative.
The Mayor’s policy of evicting the families of key workers from affordable housing within his control in order to sell to developers is wrong.
Those who serve the community through their work should be able to live in it.
It is also wrong to give the impression, as Merton Conservative Councillor David Simpson has done, that the tenants were made aware from the outset that their tenancies were time limited.
Some residents have been living in their homes for 20 years: long before the Mayor or his Office for Policing and Crime was invented.
Boris Johnson has housing responsibilities. He should decide either to allow the remaining 21 families to continue paying rent as before, or to find them suitable alternative affordable accommodation in the neighbourhood.
In the meantime, I ask everyone to support our campaign.
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-boris-evictions
Councillor Andrew Judge
Via email
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