The London ‘hell’ estate fighting back: murders, fires and broken lifts
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- Опубліковано 19 лют 2024
- Milford Towers is a social housing estate in Lewisham, London, that is described by its residents as "hell". Slated for demolition, the residents accuse the council of ignoring them and deliberately running it into the ground. There are frequent leaks, mould infestations, break ins, fires, people being stabbed, and perpetually broken lifts. The Guardian's Adam Sich and Christopher Cherry spent a few days there as residents announced enough is enough, and united to challenge the council to finally start treating them as people.
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#UK #London #News #Housing #Welfare
The lifts not working is a Human Rights issue. Against the disabled, elderly, etc. No one should be forced to live like that.
It is if you're elderly and you live on the 6th floor.
You wouldn't make it.
If you are disabled you shouldn't be housed where you are dependant on the lift anyway... because in a fire the lifts stop working and you are stuck. I know.
@@LuciThomasHardylover-qx6ts There are not enough social housing, people are desperate. If the council offers you a place on the 7th floor then you're gonna take it. Whether you're got one leg or two. Cause it could be years before you're offered a place again. Don't blame victims blame the corrupt system and the landlord mps.
@@ramatgan1 you have gone off half cocked without reading what I wrote properly,as so often happens 🙄 if the council offered me a seventh floor flat I can assure you that I wouldn't take it. Because I am a disabled person and I have been caught in a large, multistorey building with no provision to evacuate the disabled and endured several terrifying hours trapped with a young child. So don't patronise me. It is a human rights entitlement,it is also very clear in housing law, and in the fire safety of public buildings. If you are happy to take a flat you know you can't escape ina fire, that's your choice. But you can't expect people to run back in to a burning building and rescue you. And disabilities vary. Someone with one leg might be quite nifty on their crutches and is happy to risk the stairs with panicking people pushing and shoving. I cannot imagine where you think you saw me blaming victims, I was pointing out the more dangerous case scenario for them, looking at those flats and thinking of Grenfell. You absolutely have a legal right to refuse a property that is dangerous without losing your status. Please read comments properly before firing off your misunderstanding and attacking me when you've actually got it completely back to front.
@@ramatgan1 exactly right people are being forced to accept houses that aren't suitable because of such long waiting lists, pretty dispicable
They leave it until its beyond repair, condemn it, evict everyone, knock it down and sell the space to developers.
where do the people who are evicted go to live?
Private renting or shipped out of London
@@nameundefinedname5307 shipped out. Very few will be given local housing
Thats the plan the government dosnt care and the local council certainly dosnt care.
@nameundefinedname5307 Most of them get sent all over uk, miles away from where they grew up / live and work. Outside of london
It hurts my heart to see that seventh floor resident
Mine too 😢
Yes and I also felt nobody wgo can change things cares at all.
Absolutely heartbreaking my god it hursts me watching how these poor people are suffering especially the disabled man, council should be ashamed of thmslfs 🤬🤬
That in one of the richest cities in the world.. disgusting
Unfortunately it’s only the so called ‘top’ 1% that is rich. The rest have to scramble day to day for the crumbs.
The country isn’t rich it’s only certain people in the country who are!
@@ekcs3941 you know nothing
@@promo4557 He isn't wrong; the country isn't 'rich' from its productivity, but rather its use as a medium for corporations and individuals to commit financial fraud.
@@promo4557🙄
Just because you live in social housing doesnt mean you have to live in appalling conditions. They are your homes and you deserve to live in comfort and safety.
Where do you think the money comes from to fund this social housing?
the government @@xxgaming_generation_2156
@@xxgaming_generation_2156what is your point
@@xxgaming_generation_2156 From your taxes, which everyone pays into, including those on social benefits.
go rent private then
Lewisham was my council for a while and ive always luved in the area. Funny thing is that the Lewisham Council building theyre protesting outside of, right across the road from Milford Towers...they just finished a multi million pound revamp of it. Gave themselves nice new offices to have meetings in and make threatening phone calls from, this in full view of a building full if people they're neglecting the welfare of whilst still taking their rent and council tax
I don’t understand how UK call itself a rich country anymore. Stop funding wars, help your own people.
@@888young2 What's a British accent? What is a British person? Clearly, you are an ignorant mf, so don't bother responding. Just try using your peanut brain before you spew daily mail tripe like the fucking goober you are 😂
@@888young2 They are still our citizens who live and work here. It is a human rights violation.
@@888young2 Do you reject GP appointments from NHS doctors who were not born in the UK?? I see they’re only your people when you’re benefiting from them.
Well said. It's as it always is with the British, the rich keep the money for themselves and the poor blame 'the bloody foreigners' 🙄
I don't know how we get out of this because collectively we always vote for some rich people who don't have our interests at heart.
@@888young2 They pay yo taxes though, that you enjoy very much.
Well done to these brave people for coming together and supporting each other. I hope that their strength, message and story can inspire more people to come together to raise these important issues and start the conversations that have the power to move the UK into a place of recovery.
This is a problem worldwide!I too in the US,am renting a place full of mold,crime,and more.As a 60 yr.old csncee patient,i am plagued with respiratory issues due to this.CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.GOD BLESS THESE WARRIORS 🙏TIME TO RISE PEOPLE!
WTF? Go live elswwhere, sure you can get a relocation handout worth 200000 from the UK gov before you rise up, lol
This is social engineering in action - it is the council's legal responsibility to fix broken infrastructure in these areas, but they deliberately don't do it. The purpose of this is to allow the buildings and the area to deteriorate, and then use said deterioration as an excuse to condemn it as a "sink estate". Once it's been deemed a sink estate, they will then move to gentrify it - forcing the working class inhabitants out, razing the buildings, and building expensive luxury condos in their place which only wealthy white-collar workers will be able to afford. It's social cleansing.
It's like this all over London councils are corrupt and we should consider council tax strike.
Labour councils you mean?
@harry.flashman the Tory government that has cut council funding to the marrow is corrupt to the core.
What disgusting conditions these people are having to live in, our mega rich prime minister needs to open his eyes to REAL life and see how people are living in 2024. He should spend a month living there in a flat with mould and the council doing nothing and being allowed to get away with it. Most MPs are not in touch with reality, this is reality for many people, sad but true.
All 54 councilors in Lewisham are Labour! Why blame Tories for what is clearly a Labour problem?
That poor guy with the crutches
Absolutely disgusting and unacceptable. Many developing world living standards are far higher. Hope they will receive justice.
France too so no all countries I Europe have the same pb !
Council are quick enouth to take your rent money than to do repairs money is more inportant to them than people they don't care 🔥😠👍
A first world country. Shame on the council and the government.
First world? Less and less every year 😂
What happens to a 1st World country when you flood it with the 3rd world ?
@@stevemacqueen8554These people mostly come from countries that were raped by the british. You owe them
Classic unfriendly architecture it would not surprise me, though if they won some kind of award for this monstrosity.
Nothing about this structure is welcoming.
on paper. It most likely looked sufficient.
In reality, no one would be comfortable living in that .
They probably want the place to get to such a state that they have to tear it down and put up 'affordable housing' with their developer mates. All of you council rate payers will probably be moved on out.
Finally, someone has realised what's going on.... there is a sinister agenda to gentrify parts of London by knocking down estates and replace them with so-called 'affordable' housing. Affordable to a very small minority.... I am a QS and I have seen so many developments where they have 90% affordable housing and only 10% social housing, sometimes even less.. then people wonder why there isn't housing stock out there..... this has been going on for quite a while now, and I fear it will get worse.....
Now this is something to protests about.
I doundt those just stop oil fools have neve been anywhere near a place lke this.
Lewisham Council turned Catford into the new Deptford. Anyone who doesn't know, the people in Catford were mostly originally from Deptford but when the money came to Deptford they were moved out....bad housing conditions never leave you when your poor 🤔🤔🤔🤔.
The fact that I’m old enough to remember that because I was one of those people, it’s crazy. They moved us out of Woodpecker.
Am tired tonight excuse me, which area is better developed? Catford or Deptford ?
@@Obatala_Vibez nowadays Deptford but that’s only because it’s been gentrified
@tolsabeni They made "Ghetto" a priority and look how that ended with all the fatalities on the estate, remember the days when the community was intact.
@Obatala_Vibez Catford technically but Deptford is definitely on the up because of the location, closer to central areas.
As a person who grew up poor in London, my area and block looks like paradise compared to these Lewisham blocks holy crap
"our greatest strength"
The police sirens at the end of the vid are the most Lewisham thing ever
So the building is deliberately left to rot so that developers can cash in on it, bloody gross
Hands up to the lady at least she is taking action ❤
Most british people would rather not work and stay on benefits so this statement is false. The so called immigrants get the jobs people dont want to do @Nellia..
@@888young2she said they did work. Maybe they are on minimum wage and can’t afford private renting?
Who said she does not have a job? Use common sense buying a house in London is not exactly a walk in the park, secondly regardless she is entitled to spread awareness and make a stand.@@888young2
@@888young2and here you are again how do know she doesn’t have a job
My bathroom in Hong Kong looks like that-- IF I DON'T CLEAN IT! People need to need to be taught to clean a bathroom? That's a normal result of humidity.
Exactly, people just want to blame others for everything. If they actually treated their house like their home, they would have dealt with it before it became an issue
RENT STRIKES PEOPLE!
Disgusting for " Great Britain " the amount of taxes paid 🤦♀ but putting our money towards wars, but lets ignore the children, elderly, vulnerable & disadvantages... the saying, the poor will eat the ☕
They are learning from the corruption happening in the US. It's rampant here and the people have no recourse any more now that corporations and the rich buy our politicians - which started back in the 70's thanks to a corrupt SCOTUS and a generation who didn't want to pay ANY attention to what was happening. The middle class and poor are literally being taxed without representation. The people WORLDWIDE need to stand up to the rich & their corrupt governments!! I wonder if anyone has ever thought that WWIII may just be a class war? I know people here are getting pissed and Abigail Disney even warned about how it's affecting people & since that she was raised on fairytales (which have truth in them) she remembers the stories of the pissed peasants bringing torches & pitchforks.
@@BasedinReality1984 You're deluded. It even says in the video that they work and pay their way.
@@FeedsNoSliesMusic sure they do 😂😂
NHS budget alone is about four times greater than the defence budget.
@@BasedinReality1984 Your name is so ironic. Do some non daily mail research
Sadly, the solution is to evict them all to allow demolition - assuming the repairs have become too expensive.
If the council doesn’t have the money to rebuild, probably best to sell the land to pay for stretched services.
I will not say the name of my village, but when I was living there nearly 15 years ago. There was dog shit friggin EVERYWHERE. It got so bad that the council were getting bombarded with complaints, especially the road my parents live on. The UK seems to be a country of dog fouling, my village is a tourist attraction thanks to it's history. I don't want people thinking that the people in this country are dirty and can't pick up their dog crap. It's a real embarrassment when your trying to portray your village as a nice place to go when there is dog shit F***ing everywhere!
Blessings and good luck for these residents that they get the work done on these homes that is needed
Being stabbed is not the councils fault, nor is break ins.
Not that simple dude. You need to get out more and do some critical thinking. Look around you.
The council has a responsibility to ensure safety of tenants. The lifts should be kept in working order, and the poor old man should have a carer
If they put in working cameras and security that would help.
Actually there's an argument to be made that yes it is their fault because when an area is left looking like nobody cares it breeds violent crime. You should learn about architecture and design it's a well known fact that it has a huge impact on social behaviour and the people in charge have been aware of this for centuries.
It's part of their 'culture'
Get use to it standards will drop further as the demand continues to increase.
Theres too many people for the infrastructure and resources and based on our economic model it won’t be going down so not complaining and welcome another 1 million new people this year!
Your racist if you
Complain.
Where my country gone...?
tories get em out
Unpopular opinion but it may very well be the case that its better to rebuild then attempt to fix it.
the problem is they do nothing...
Where would the residents stay while that is being done? There are probably thousands of people living there, where do you expect them to go for the years it will take to rebuild such a massive building? And it’s not like the foundation of the building is bad, the council has just done nothing to maintain what was once a secure, clean and functional building.
@441worldwide9 it could be the case that the cost to repair outweighs the long term effect of simply rebuilding. We don't know all the reasons behind it.
They will sell the land to a private conglomeration whom will make it a place for the super wealthy who can buy a view of London .
TheTennants will be pushed out separated and rehoused into another slum .
I have seen it happen too many times
It is all about real estate greed especially in Londonderry.
That’s all well and good but rebuild it for who? The original residents or the countryside kids with office jobs?
These estates are deliberately run down by councils and property developers so the residents can be pushed out.
For the mold, all you need to do is scrub the wall clean, then buy a dehumidifier for less than £100 and it won't come back. Honestly I feel for these people but at the same time there are things they can do themselves to improve their living situation. Don't wait for the government to help you because they don't care unfortunately.
Omg you're genius, you should go and tell them
Unfortunately there is dehumidifier, scrub or chemicals that can sort the mold due to the leak inside the flat.
That is completely not true
😂 not true. Ive had bad mould in my old house and it took more than that to eventually fix it
Absolute rubbish. It's a CONSTANT battle to keep it at bay. You're talking out of your arse.
Is this not some kind of human rights violation?😢
Exactly
Disgusting power
@@888young2yes
It infuriates me when I see these wishy washy statements put out by dodgy Companies, in this case a Council, after damning documentaries/stories have been shown, as if that somehow relinquishes them from all guilt, somebody gets paid a fortune to write it too.
We reside in a 3rd world country - that was hurtful to see the guy walking up those stairs and the mould in that property, we should not be proud of any kind of achievements when we are failing others, we know what kind of cycle this is when it comes to tower blocks like this, they won't patch it up - that Lewisham statement was bullsh9t with rhetoric words and selected words, we must crash the Matrix once and for all or we will forever be going around in circles
Are some of these people immigrants? How would immigrants get council housing in the UK ahead of citizens in first place?
As long as youHave so e form of legal status in the UK you will be considered the same as a citizen.
@@amyseaden9069 Thanks. Another example then of a system designed to be played. Incentivise the worlds poor and unskilled to move in. What an insane policy. Toxic altruism. Mass migration and open welfare destroy nations.
I am from lewisham originally and i think the main problem has always been the lack of social housing built ontop of that a lack of maintenance to the properties. Disgusting. They have let it all crumble and should be ashamed of themselves for letting people live like this.
Good luck to everyone protesting. There are so many problems now that stoicism isn't going to change. Time to shame thoe who leave us to it. It's encouraging to see what you are doing.
5:28 Only front doors with no glas in it and no windows. next to it. It looks like a prison! Hell, how in earth can someone design such crap?
Given the amount of graffiti on the walls, fly tipping, broken mirrors, elevators, uncleaned bathrooms leading to mould (not ventilating and properly drying, regularly cleaning the walls), it is likely that even if the council fixed these issues, the residents are going to make it in the state again.
Possibly the council can do an estimate of fixing all these problems on the condition that it would be charged under a newly introduced service charge because if people who live in it doesn't treat the property right and do basic maintenance such as keeping the place tidy and not smashing things up, no amount of money is going to fix all the problems permanently.
What sux is as a disabled single white man..they won't even give me a place like this ...i can't find housing anywhere a its so stressful it making me sicker
Lifts not working is throughout London
"This hell-holes of housing estates in across London areas and rest of the across England will make grew worses to deteriorated conditions and even early deaths at predicts"😢😢
They should show this video to the men coming across the channel.
I've literally seen squats in better condition that the council told people were unfit for human habitation
I moved out of London cos I was skint, maybe that is the solution
Kingston Council also awful! Stay strong!!
Disgusting and I bet their council tax still goes up
And rent goes up every year in April
This is horrendous. Basic clean, safe housing should be available to everyone. The Tories are allowing poverty to be as bad as it was before WWII. There is money for everyone, it's just not distributed correctly.
You've clearly not come across the 1950s slums. Modern social housing is considerably better, you don't need to go back as far as pre-WW2.
@@888young2do you have any idea how much minimum wage is and how much private accommodation costs, especially in London. It’s very unaffordable for people in low income jobs.
@@888young2nah you’re just racist at this point stop trolling and back under the rock you came from
@@888young2you are heartless
@@888young2 I think she said in the video that she’s working
London is a dungeon
£2.5 billion for Ukraine war this year but can't fix this in our own country.
They should get some paint brushes and start painting together. Clean up their own mess
Ah yeah and maybe they should repair the lift and water leaks on their own, too. Some sellotape and Blu Tack will see to it. 🙄
Council building gets multi million pound revamp while man are literally crawling up to 7th floor in plain sight. Council should be ASHAMED.
All Power to these folks 💚💯💚
Wonder where all the money is going, Mind you welcome to a Labour run council. 🥴
Absolutely disgusting to see this. Noone should live in these conditions.
1:03 she's al right about her complaint about the mold, but she could also buy a spray bottle with anti mold. Just spray it on and wipe it off after just one minute and the mold will be gone,
and when you repeat it once a month, then the mold won't come back because it get's no chance to grow that fast, so the health problems are in her own hands.
Who’s working for the disabled man cause he needs to move to lower ground it’s bad
The indigenous people of Britain deserve better than this 🇬🇧
This is a violation of Human Rights. He deserves so much better!! I hope this changes 💔
this is so upsetting...
Not addressing structural poverty costs a nation far more over the long term.
How much rent are they paying?
I think they pay rent, maybe 1/3 of the total rent then the council covers 2/3, as I was told once by somebody.
I think they pay rent, maybe 1/3 of the total rent then the council covers 2/3, as I was told once by somebody.
So how can it be sustainable to keep inviting people into the country that take more than they give? @@ellensamir374
who breaks things?
Is this actually uk 😮
I'd live there
Good on the Guardian for making this hopefully it gets the attention it deserves now
Rest in Peace Rochelle 💐🌹🥀
Rest In Peace Rochelle
Who is Rochelle and what happened to her?
Good for them! COMMUNITY ACTION! On some of this stuff, Lewisham Council is actually breaking the law and the residents should band together to sue as the only thing power respects is power. Lewisham Council's CEO i think is on £184,950 per annum when i googled it.
subsidized rent has its drawbacks, best to work harder and get yourself out of there like many of us did(myself)
all of south London is social housing , be grateful there are working families who have to pay rent who are poor and have no rights .why not go and get jobs are buy your own place instead of having 5 kids from 4 dads
Well done guys. 40+ years of cuts. It had to happen. The people who bring in these changes don't live in these properties and areas. Time for change. Big question is where has all the money gone?
Vile the way the government treat people and then unelected little rishi has the nerve to say that if people work hard they will be rewarded. Where is the evidence for such a claim ? All I see is the poor getting poorer in worsening conditions.
What are the drug and addiction problems in these estates?
Sad
And all over the uk not just london houses and flats and social housing are allowed to be rented out even when they are moldy leaking and falling apart because there are no basic standards
free stuff is not free to maintain sort it
Just like Croydon council estates😐
For some people housing rights isnt important. The best strategy here is the legal way, citing the fire safety violations, health violations, violations to accessibility and disabilities laws. And the budget. This report showed nothing about the council budget and allocations for building management and repairs.
Disgrace Lewisham Council
and they just announced council tax is going up, to what pay for what exactly? reeks of embezzlement.
look at that mould, gross
Surely the council had deliberate destroyed the lifts not the “locals” isn’t it? 😂
Take a lawyer, and don't pay full rent till all fixed
disgraceful and of course mental health issues go right up too. It's in the council's interest for a start to sort this
poor guy with crutches..outrageous that he has to climb stairs
This is sickening. 😮
This is bad conditions, council spending too much on LTNs, no youth services, council contractors "working from home" and taking large paychecks at the top - no doubt
poverty by design
Oh noi feel sorry for him 😢😢😢
I think the Tennants strength is wonderful 😊xxxxx
But the minute you are late with your rent they have a problem but wnt fix the problem
so great to have Free media that can report anything.
amazes me the mould situaion they make no effort to wipe it down using vinegar or diluted bleach
I have same issues with my bathroom.
they probably pay rent £400 pcm.if they pay it at all
private rent would be £1500pcm
I pay 900 per month for a room, just not to live in these conditions.
"they have money for wars, but they wont house the poor"
Tupac.
Seems to be everywhere. Yet their kids only go into the military if they actually want to. If there were still drafts in the US (which may come back - you never know) the rich wouldn't be drafted. Or have their doctors write notes to get out of it just like Trump did!!
Bingo! Corporate welfare makes actual social assistance look like pocket change...