Protestors intervened this week with Southern Housing Group’s decision to sell off housing stock in the middle of a housing crisis.

Stop selling social housing

Protesters tried to prevent Southern Housing selling off a 4-bed family home at auction in Hastings on Thursday 25 July. Campaigner Grace Lally asks why is Southern Housing Group – a housing association that is meant to provide secure social homes – selling properties to cash buyers when we have over 1000 homeless people in temporary accommodation?

A quarter of the Hastings Borough Council budget for the whole town is being spent on subsidising the cost of private temporary accommodation such as hotels and caravan parks.

Most of the property owned by Southern Housing was originally built as council housing with public money. They have no right to flog off our community assets when so many people are in desperate need.

One of the protesters, Elaine, who has been in temporary accommodation in St Leonards since she was made homeless over a year ago, said “I already suffer from depression and anxiety so I’ve found it really hard being in just one room and not having my own place with my own belongings around me. I can’t believe that they are selling off social housing when there are so many people like myself left in limbo for so long waiting for a home”.

Grace says: “If you are in temporary housing or overpriced insecure private renting please contact us and get involved – we want to take back empty homes for people who need them! You can email us at: housingrebellion@protonmail.com

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