28th October 2008
Ownership of the house is claimed by Places for People, Britain’s largest housing association. Its chief executive, David Cowans, topped the list of richest “social” housing providers with a salary of £257,928 in 2007 (Every single penny on the backs of the poor). Instead of providing adequate social housing they work for corporate gain and through speculation with our money are feeling the pinch of the property market crash. This is a social housing provider playing with public money.
Number 87 is actually owned by Places for People’s charitable arm (Places for People Individual Support), which is supposed to provide housing for homeless and the elderly. They plan to turn the majority of the house into private owned apartments. It currently is housing 20+ people.
It has been empty for over 3 years and squatted by a large number of otherwise homeless people since April 2008.