Rachel Beattie campaigning outside Clarion’s offices in Hampstead Road

“WHEN you break a promise, we’ll turn up at your office!”

And turn up they did. Employees clocking in at a housing association’s head­quarters on Tuesday morning were met by chanting protesters opposing the no-fault evictions of scores of vulnerable Islington tenants.

In March, more than 60 social housing tenants were told they would be kicked out of the homes they rent from Peter Bedford Housing Associ­ation (PBHA), a charitable organisation which specialises in providing homes for people affected by homelessness, mental health issues and learning difficulties.

PBHA has leased properties from Clarion – another housing association – for more than 20 years, including, in Isledon Road and Yonge Park in Islington.

But Clarion now wants to stop the arrangement, citing the need to carry out renovations and repairs and concerns about the sustainability of the current arrangement.

According to tenants, Clarion said PBHA failed to properly maintain the properties.

PBHA is returning the homes to Clarion in three phases over 12 months. Some tenants have already been rehoused while others say they still have not been given details of future accommodation.

On Tuesday, a group of protesters including tenants and representatives from London Renters Union and tenants’ union ACORN stood outside Clarion’s office in Hampstead Road while some tenants went inside to demand a meeting with key officials. The Tribune understands that a meeting with PBHA’s chief exec­utive was subsequently arranged for yesterday (Thursday) morning.

The demonstration marks the latest event in months of action by the PBHA tenants, who are demanding like-for-like or better accommodation offers, the right to refuse properties offered, and home loss payments for all affected tenants.

Diana H has lived in a PBHA property in Isledon Road for seven years and has helped lead action against PBHA and Clarion.

She said the two housing providers have broken the promises they made to tenants, and assumed that vulnerable people could be moved out of their homes like “gentle cattle”.

“Unfortunately for them, that didn’t happen,” she said. She told the Tribune that some of her fellow tenants cannot read and write and have been deeply distressed by the evictions process.

Campaigners from the London Renters Union

Katherine, a member solidarity representative at Hackney LRU, said the outrage stemmed both from the fact of the evictions and the way they were carried out.

“They were given hardly any notice,” she said.

“Some of them have actually been told to leave already, and they haven’t been provided with a genuine safe option.

“We just really want them to be treated with some dignity and not to be kicked out of their homes and out of their area,” she added.

Clarion is one of the oldest housing associations in the UK, and says it focuses on providing homes “for those in need”.

It has not said what it plans to do with the properties it is regaining from PBHA.

Rachel Beattie, who lives in a PBHA property in Isledon Road, called the evictions an act of “social cleansing”, aimed at replacing tenants like her with those who are less vulnerable.

She described being left in limbo by PBHA over where she will go next if she is forced to leave.

“I was told by Peter Bedford that it was my forever home,” she said.

“This is making me sicker by the day. This time next year, I have no idea where I’m going to live, and this could be happening as soon as February or March next year. They keep saying one thing and doing another. There’s no continuity of care.

“There’s no protocol, and they’ve gone against the 2010 Disability Act by saying to me, as someone with memory issues, I’m not allowed to have an advocate or someone to support me,” she added.

“Moving forward, I don’t even know how I’m going to box up my belongings. I’m only allowed to lift a certain amount of weight. They’re not helping whatsoever.”

A spokesperson for Clarion said: “As the landlord for affected residents PBHA is responsible for managing the move-on process and communication around this, with Clarion offering support where needed.

“We are conscious that this is an extremely difficult time for those affected, particularly those with complex needs, and have made clear that move-ons will happen only at a pace they are comfortable with and that all decisions will be made in discussion with them.

“Regrettably, initial communications sent by PBHA lacked support and guidance for residents causing understandable upset and we are very sorry this was not handled better by the landlord.”

In a statement, PBHA said: “We have already sourced accommodation for 50 per cent of the residents and are optimistic we will find accommodation for the remaining tenants.

“PBHA housing teams have been keeping tenants updated regularly including reviewing housing plans and writing to tenants. Drop-ins and one-to-ones have been available, and we will be increasing the availability of these as we approach the end of the leases.

“If a tenant needs more support than has been available to date, PBHA would encourage them to contact the housing services manager or CEO.

“A meeting for all residents did take place in May which was limited to tenants-only given the scale of the meeting. Subsequently, Rachel has had many meetings with PBHA and is very welcome to bring an advocate with her.”