Social Housing Not Social Cleansing: The Case of the Focus E15 Mums

The document details the struggle of the Focus E15 Mums, a group of young mothers in East London who faced eviction from a charity-run hostel due to government budget cuts. It describes their transition from a local fight against 'social cleansing' and forced relocation outside London to a broader national campaign for secure, affordable social housing. The text links their experience to a wider UK housing crisis characterized by the privatization of social housing since the 1980s, rising property prices, and the gentrification of areas like Stratford. It highlights the group's use of direct action, such as occupying empty homes on the Carpenters’ Estate, and the emergence of a wider housing movement demanding rent controls and an end to estate demolitions.

• The UK housing crisis is rooted in 1980s Conservative policies that privatized social housing, removed rent controls and security of tenure, and promoted home ownership to disempower local governments.
• Housing costs in the UK have increased dramatically over several decades, with the average home price rising from £5,632 in 1971 to £245,319 in 2011, making private rents unaffordable relative to wages.
• There has been a significant increase in the practice of rehousing people outside of London, with an investigation by the London Green Party recording a rise from 10 cases in 2010 to over 350 in 2014.
• The Focus E15 Mums utilized direct action, including occupying charity and government offices and an empty house on the Carpenters’ Estate, which eventually led the council to house 40 people on that estate, despite 400 homes remaining empty.
• A broader national housing movement is forming, consisting of both established organizations like 'Homes for Britain' and radical groups demanding rent controls, more social housing, and an end to estate demolitions.

APA

Jeraj, S. (2015). Social Housing Not Social Cleansing: The Case of the Focus E15 Mums. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/social-housing-not-social-cleansing-the-case-of-the-focus-e15-mums/

Chicago

Jeraj, Samir. Social Housing Not Social Cleansing: The Case of the Focus E15 Mums. Green European Journal, 2015. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/social-housing-not-social-cleansing-the-case-of-the-focus-e15-mums/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jeraj |first1=Samir |title=Social Housing Not Social Cleansing: The Case of the Focus E15 Mums |publisher=Green European Journal |date=22 May 2015 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/social-housing-not-social-cleansing-the-case-of-the-focus-e15-mums/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jeraj2015social, author = {Jeraj, Samir}, title = {{Social Housing Not Social Cleansing: The Case of the Focus E15 Mums}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2015}, month = may, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/social-housing-not-social-cleansing-the-case-of-the-focus-e15-mums/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }