Spreydon 'squat'- M.O.W. to act

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33254, 18 June 1973, Page 14

Spreydon 'squat'M.O.W. to act

A family of five, evicted from their home in Waltham, were moved into an unoccupied house on the route of the Southern motorway by the Tenants Protection Association at the week-end.

Miss Rhonnie Seager of the T.P.A. said the “squat,” at 470 Barrington Street, had been organised because the family (Mr and Mrs J. Wilkie and their three children, aged 10, 6 and 7) was in desperate need of accommodation.

The family had been given until today to get out of their home in Waltham after a snort court hearing last week, said Miss Seager.

Mr Wilkie, a rubber worker, said he was evicted after complaints had been made to the Health Department about the standard of his previous accommodation. "We advertised and we answered advertisements, but could not find anything unless we paid a $3O or $5O bond.” “WILL PAY THE RENT” The family moved into the house assisted by four members of the T.P.A. Yesterday, Mr Wilkie cleared the garden and mowed the lawn around the house. Electricity, which was not going when he arrived, had been put on. "I am prepared to pay rent for the place," he said, “but I don't think it should go, empty." Miss Seager said that the T.P.A. felt that there could] be no Justification for any house remaining empty in a 1

time of chronic housing shortage.

Two other houses in the seme area were unoccupied and it was intended to use one of them as an "emergency house,” to provide accommodation for persons in desperate need. ACTION, SAYS M.O.W.

The district administrative I officer for the Ministry of Works (Mr J. D. Heffernan) said the house had been vacant only a week and was to be sold for removal within a fortnight.

Of the other two houses, | one was to be demolished '"The tender may already i have been let”) and the other was to be let on the snort ;term until November. They had been vacant no more than ! tnree weeks. ' Action would be taken to have the squatters removed, ;said Mr Heffernan. ! “We do let these houses lout. We have a list with about !150 names on it and these (people by squatting have humped the list. I “We can’t let them have 'precedence over people on the

I list who might be even more deserving.” I Miss Seager said that T.P.A. members would be at 470 Barrington Street between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. at least, to await possible Ministry action.

> The T.P.A. was inaugurated on March 1, with a “hard core” of 30 members. At present, it was running $3.50 in the red, said Miss Seager. “At least this is better than the deficit, over $7O, which we had recently.”