Katie Simpson, Northampton Socialist Party
Socialist Party members joined Northampton Against Cuts to lobby and petition West Northamptonshire Council, demanding it stop the evictions of 220 vulnerable adults from supported living.
West Northamptonshire was run by the Tories. Now it’s a Reform council.
NAASH stands for Northampton Association for Accommodation for Single Homeless. The charity housed some of Northampton’s most vulnerable citizens, many sent by the council itself.
The council demanded evidence for 450 housing benefit claims for NAASH tenants. Despite NAASH providing evidence for the majority of claims, and offering to repay the rest, the council closed all claims, cutting off the charity’s main source of funding.
On demonstrations, previous tenants talked to me about NAASH being their lifeline. “NAASH gave me accommodation, access to food and benefit support, they got me back on my feet.”
Another current resident spoke to the crowd. “This is where we are. We don’t want to be in this situation. But we are.”
NAASH workers have now all been made redundant. Residents describe being in limbo, hearing no reassurance from the council.
Reform has blamed the national government DWP guidelines in the media, then blamed NAASH for a lack of evidence. Now the council is citing ‘financial pressures’, and the need to deliver “good value for money”.
“What about the value of human life? What about the pressure this puts on our struggling and homeless services?”, asked one campaigner.
Northampton Against Cuts held a public meeting on 14 August to plan the next steps in the campaign. NAASH residents could receive eviction notices any day.
Northampton Against Cuts demands the council:
- Stop evictions from supported housing – reinstate housing benefit payments backdated to the date they were stopped
- Fully fund residents/services in NAASH, Oasis House, Hope, and other vital services for people facing homelessness
- Expand homeless services in Northampton to ensure suitable housing for all
- Stop all cuts and scrap PFI privatisation – use reserves to fund vital services, and demand national government plugs the gaps
