Family who refused to leave estate evicted

A family from west London who had refused to leave their home on a social housing estate that is part of a £600m redevelopment have been evicted.

Yacob Woldehiwot and his family had been the only ones left living in their block of flats on the South Acton estate for the last two years.

They were served with a compulsory purchase order and bailiffs were brought in.

Ealing Council said it had offered Mr Woldehiwot alternative solutions.

Mr Woldehiwot and his wife, who have two daughters, had been living on the estate for 17 years.

Mr Woldehiwot said the council had offered to buy his property, which he bought on the open market, but he challenged the valuation because it "would not allow us to buy any home in London".

The family also wanted to stay near the local schools and community.

"It's a hostile takeover of working class people's homes. Some of us have to say no," he said.

The Woldehiwots said they were technically homeless and were staying with friends, but they would continue with their legal challenge.

Ealing Council said about 450 households would have to move out of their existing homes in the next four years.

The council said Mr Woldehiwot had been offered a package "that reflected the independently assessed market value" for his home on 13 separate occasions but he "refused to engage".

"He was also offered the chance to move into a new home at South Acton on a shared equity basis, with the chance to buy the remaining equity in the future," a spokesperson added.

The council said the regeneration programme was due to be complete in 2027 and the new estate, Acton Gardens, would have about 3,400 new homes, of which 1,250 would be socially let at rents within the means of local people on low incomes.

The authority said outdated buildings needed to be replaced with new homes to meet the "unprecedented surge" in demand for affordable homes.

"To achieve that, we need to move existing residents out of the old buildings so they can be demolished. They are all given the option to move into a new home on the estate," the council added.

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