^See Lambeth Council Leader Martin Abram’s reaction to the petition!
Last autumn, a homeless campaign was set up in Brixton calling on Lambeth Council to “prioritise extra support and care for those suffering from homelessness, addiction, and mental ill health on the streets”. After holding neighbourhood assemblies all around Brixton and a large public meeting, a community petition was started up. In just a few weeks 6000 people signed the petition on Brixton High Street - and 90% of people signed it when volunteers went door to door.
There is a massive desire to see effective action but when we presented a charter to the Labour controlled council they locked the doors and would not even meet with people from the community. Nor did any Labour councillors show up to three meetings set up to discuss the issues with them. Following a meeting of community organisers after this non-response, it was decided to form a new community organisation “Shake it Up” (SIU) to put up local residents as community independents against Labour in the May elections. Candidates stood in Brixton Stockwell and Clapton. And now SIU is now creating a Lambeth community assembly to hold the new council to account. It is hoping to build connections with the more receptive Green Party and will hand in the petition to their representatives so they can take on working to support the homeless in the council.
Now we’re taking it to the next level with…
We’ve gathered together Local People and Community Groups to create a clean list of demands (See above)*
Gathering Signatures for a London-wide Petition
“We call on London politicians to provide decent and affordable housing for everyone in this city”Bringing it to borough councils and the London Assembly
*See Lambeth Community Assembly for info on how we’re doing this in Lambeth
THE DEMANDS
We worked together with community groups across London and Assemblies of Local People to draw together practical demmands for London Authorities to do real work on housing.
A Community-led reform of the housing system
Bring repairs in-house and review failing repair contracts
Recognise hidden homelessness and protect children in temporary accommodation
End the under-35 housing support penalty
Fast-track suitable housing and support for marginalised and vulnerable residents
THE STORY (so far)
Updates
Every decision we make is shaped by a clear sense of purpose. Our journey has been anything but ordinary. Through every step, we've focused on staying true to our values and making space for thoughtful, lasting work.
What began as a passion project has evolved into something more. We’re proud of where we’ve been and even more excited for what’s ahead.