ECCLES HOMELESS SHELTER RESIDENTS WILL NOT MOVE OUT DESPITE EVICTION ORDER - Salford Star

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ECCLES HOMELESS SHELTER RESIDENTS WILL NOT MOVE OUT DESPITE EVICTION ORDER

Star date: 1st February 2019

"I'M GOING NOWHERE BECAUSE I'VE NOWHERE TO GO..."

Residents at the Eccles Saving People Shelter say that they will not be leaving quietly on Monday, despite a judge ordering them to do so yesterday, after ruling in favour of NHS Property Services which owns the old doctor's surgery that has become a homeless refuge.

"I'm going nowhere because I've got nowhere to go" says resident Stacey "They kept promising me 'a bed every night' over and over again, and I've been waiting for over a month now since my initial assessment." Meanwhile, barristers are preparing a legal challenge to the judge's ruling.

Full details here...

click image to enlarge

'And the lesson today is how to die
And then the bullhorn crackles
And the captain tackles
With the problems and the how's and why's
And he can see no reasons
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to die, die

Tell me why
I don't like Mondays
Tell me why...'

I Don't Like Mondays – The Boomtown Rats

"We're not willing to risk people's lives..."

Despite being ordered by a judge to leave the old doctor's surgery in Eccles that has been turned into a homeless people's refuge for the last three months, residents and their facilitators say they will not be leaving on deadline day Monday unless everyone in the Saving People Shelter has been properly accommodated.

"We're expecting enforcement officers but due to them not being High Court enforcement officers we're not looking to leave on Monday because we need to safeguard everybody in the building" says the Shelter's Jannah Speat "We feel it's a matter of life and death with the weather at the moment, and if they've got nowhere to go we're not willing to risk people's lives..."

Alec McFadden, Manager of the Salford Unemployed and Community Resource Centre, who has been helping the Shelter, is also adamant that unless every one of the fifteen people being sheltered is accommodated they will continue to occupy the building...

"We don't like Mondays" he says "Our solicitor is currently talking to a team of barristers to prepare a legal challenge to the judge's ruling, to go to a district judge hopefully today or Monday morning. But people need to know that these people are not going quietly. Nothing has changed other than the decision of the judge.

"Salford Council has sent an email and we are taking people across for assessments, but the reality is that some of them have mental health problems and I've told the Council that they cannot put them in Bolton or Rochdale in a bed and breakfast by themselves..." he adds

Neither is dormitory accommodation suitable..."We have people in that building who haven't been able to deal with dormitory accommodation or being on their own" Jannah explains "The system isn't set up for the people we have in that building at the minute. We have people with severe mental health issues who are struggling to self medicate and we're trying to help them get back on track. They will not be able to survive in the accommodation that the Council wants to put them in."

The point is underlined by resident, Stacey..."I'm going nowhere because I've got nowhere to go as I have a dog" she says "They kept promising me a bed every night over and over again, and I've been waiting for over a month now since my initial assessment."

In court yesterday, solicitors for NHS Property Services, which owns the building, quoted apparent Salford City Council statements that no-one had been sent for assessments but the Salford Star understands that virtually every single person in the building had been sent for assessment during Christmas and New Year and all had been rejected.

"Our solicitor challenged that but the judge quite clearly believed their solicitor" says Alec McFadden.

"We've engaged in every way possible with all the services; drug and alcohol services, housing services and the rough sleepers team" says Jannah "But apparently that is all irrelevant because it's not a human rights situation that the judge was dealing with, it was just a simple eviction from a building that the NHS forgot about, that hasn't been used for nine years and probably won't be used for another nine years. There's no humanity in the process."

As the Shelter's barristers prepare an appeal to go to a higher judge, it is hoped that things like human rights, humanity and empathy come into play within the British justice system.

Meanwhile, on Monday, no-one will be leaving quietly unless suitable accommodation is in place for everyone...

Update: 5pm 1st February

Judge Stops Eviction!

This afternoon a district judge stopped any eviction happening on Monday by ordering a 'stay' (of execution) until the merits of an appeal have been decided (see photo for 'stay' court order).

For a full background see previous Salford Star articles...

Eccles Homeless Shelter Faces Eviction – click here

Extension for Eccles Homeless Shelter – click here

Eccles homeless Shelter Possession Case Adjourned – click here

NHS Property Serves Court Order To Evict Homeless Shelter – click here

Eccles Homeless Shelter Saving Lives as NHS Wants to Evict – click here

Eccles Homeless Shelter Saving Lives - click here

Bob the regular wrote
at 16:48:49 on 08 February 2019

This story got a full page in todays mirror.

Bob the regular wrote
at 06:09:21 on 07 February 2019

Been watching newsnight on BB2 last couple of nights. They were on about asylum seekers, and Burham was on tonight.It seems we in the north west along with north east and the midlands take most of these people, while rich areas,like London,because they have a housing shortage take very few.The London boroughs are not run by people like Tessa May. Most are run by lefty nutters like Dennett.No doubt many of these are pals of Dennett. We also in Salford have a terrible housing shortage like London but we take lots in. burnham tonight did say the scheme is voluntary. If a council do not want any ,they do not have to have any. Altrincham does not take any. If any turn up there ,they send them to Salford. Burnham was going on about how the labour councils like to "do their bit and take their fair share". What he didn't tell the viewers was though,that each council gets £8520 for each one they take in. Perhaps this is why they are so charitably minded whilst their own people suffer. Go on all you leftys call me all the rascist bigot etc. I am not rascist, I am just pointing out why our council does what it does. I for one, would advocate massive aid schemes both from our country and the eu, to train our unemployed young people building skills and send them to places like Syria to help re-building , if their safety can be guaranteed, thats how much a rascist bigot I am.

Former resident wrote
at 09:11:41 on 04 February 2019

As a former resident,now living in Lincolnshire, I still read the Salford Star each day and enjoy its stories. The situation here in Lincolnshire regarding housing allocation is much different. They have about 7 housing bands.Right at the top is the people born locally. In some villages, if you are not born there, you have no chance of social housing there. Full stop. I think the very least you need to have to get on the bottom rung is having to have lived here 5 years. If that is the law here, why is it not like that in Salford? Or is it that each council can make up its own rules as it thinks fit. If that is the case, then Salford people are being sold down the river on that one. Can someone who knows what the allocation rules are please tell us, then we will know for sure.

Bob the regular wrote
at 18:24:25 on 03 February 2019

What Kev says seems to indicate that I am right. My sources of information are always bang on. Come on lefty probation,social worker types, I know you all read the Star. come and contradict me if you dare. In Salford we have a housing problem, a big one. We do not have enough housing for anyone, rich or poor that is right for their needs. That problem sits on top of Dennetts desk,and as long as his fat arse sits behind it, we will always have a housing problem. Ever thought why he came here? Simple, his own town Warrington can go either way, a bit like Trafford. A short spell of Dennett lunacy there would mean Warrington would not be either way in future. It would go solid Tory. Thats why he is here, a city full of labour voters who always vote labour no matter what.

wrote
at 18:24:05 on 03 February 2019

@Kev & Bob - Not only that but anyone coming in to Salford from elsewhere in the county, country, EU etc... will be classed as having a ‘local connection’ after 6 months, and be in the same band as locals looking for housing. And because a fair few of these people will be in bedsits and hostels they’ll be ‘priority’. So along with prisoners we have a lot of people from outside Salford taking up homes. I don’t care what colour, religion or nationality you are, if you’re a born and bred local (unless you’re a prisoner) then you should get first choice of housing, everyone else can get to the back of the queue.

Kev wrote
at 10:40:40 on 03 February 2019

Bob the Regular is correct about prisoners on release being considered more of a priority for housing, so the answer is to commit a crime where you'll be supervised on release, nothing too minor or major, something that will take you over a 12 month sentence though, and when you come out, there will, be probation officers and social workers making sure you're A-OK. You don't want to commit a crime? Sorry, you're on your own. Twisted society we live in.

Bob the regular wrote
at 18:41:45 on 02 February 2019

I have thought along similar lines to Denise for a while, she is partly right, though I would never encourage any person to take revenge on this greedy spiteful society, ruled and administered by arseholes by committing a criminal act. That would be illegal, far better for these people to freeze to death on the streets in this cold weather, that is perfectly legal. Denise is wrong however when it comes to getting a tennancy when people have a prison record. Like I said in a previous post about another matter, a young man who has just come out of jail has more housing priority than one who has served in the forces for 5 years, and just left military service. Can some lefty probation officer, salford homesearch team member or anyone say I am wrong here? Just as a matter of interest for those about to leave jail custody, for those without homes to go to, they should stay where they are until housing is offered. If a bloke gets 12 months ,they let them out on parole or whatever after 6 months, if they refuse to go until they get a house or flat, the authorities would soon find them somewhere as it costs 800 quid a week to keep them in jail. And its not just the cost, the jail service just don't have enough room to keep them all. They have a housing shortage as well. Just look at the Stars masthead. These dwellings were blown up by lunatics, not terrorists.

Bob the regular wrote
at 07:06:51 on 02 February 2019

I do not hold out hope for success with this appeal.The judges hands are tied,no matter what the moral rights and wrongs are. However, it will buy a bit of time. The council could do something here. They could let the charities that are helping here do some good by letting them have use of at least one empty building that is owned, by the council. I refer to the former council offices in Irlam.Not long ago,I was up in Irlam, and noticed this building tinned up. Apparantly it could be made to work as its not been vandalised. I KNOW MISS BECKY,AND DENNETT READ THE STAR. I KNOW THAT FOR SURE. I DO NOT KNOW IF BURNHAM READS IT. I ASK HERE TO ALL 3, CAN YOU PLEASE MAKE THAT BUILDING, OR SOME OTHER, AVAILABLE FOR THESE POOR PEOPLE TO USE.I AM SURE A LOT OF CHARITABLE PEOPLE WILL HELP AS WELL IF YOU DO. PLEASE DON'T GIVE ME EXCUSES ABOUT LIABILITY,ECT,ECT, OR ANY OTHER BULLSHIT EXCUSE AS TO WHY IT CANNOT BE DONE. IF YOU DO NOT DO IT, COULD ALL THREE OF YOU KINDLY REFRAIN FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE FROM BLEATING ON ABOUT HOMELESS PEOPLE, AND HOW XXXXXXX LABOUR WILL HELP THE HOMELESS. IT IS ALL I ASK.

Denise Royle wrote
at 07:06:31 on 02 February 2019

The only other way to get a roof over their head is to get arrested and get a few nights in the cells or sent to prison in the warmth with food and clean clothes. Unfortunately a criminal record wont get them a job or a tenancy. The system has them all ways. They'll probably end up being rushed to hospital with hypothermia , costing who ? Yes you've guessed it, the NHS.😣😣😣😣😣😣😣

Tracy Martindale wrote
at 14:04:47 on 01 February 2019

This seems to be typical of the NHS attitude despite the fact that they are supposed to preserve life not endanger it. These people had to help themselves and now the property has a purpose the accountants want it. Legitimise it let them pay a manageable rent since it was just idle beforehand.

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