E15 Mothers

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The Focus E15 Mothers are a group of vulnerable young mums who were threatened with eviction and rehousing outside London by Newham Council.

They won their fight to be rehoused, albeit in sub standard, overpriced, private London accommodation and are now are fighting for the issue of social housing versus gentrification.

The women and their supporters have occupied a small block of abandoned flats on the Carpenters Lane estate. It is shadowed by the Stratford Olympic site and glitzy glass blocks, that tower out of the rent reach of the original local population.

People seem very happy with the new residents, who have breathed life back into the boarded up houses. The mood was pretty jubilant, despite defeat in the court the Mothers campaign will see the opening up of up to 40 previously abandoned houses.

See my Guardian commissioned piece here:

The Focus E15 protests – in pictures | Cities | The Guardian

See Jason N. Parkinson’s Guardian video here:

London’s housing crisis: the story of the Focus E15 mums – video