Tenants who fear homelessness by charity have police called on them by landlords

A group of residents who fear homelessness by the UK Poppy Factory had the police called on them as they tried to speak with the CEO.

The charity, which owns all of the homes, works closely with the Royal British Legion by supplying poppies to nation during the month of November.

But the private tenants of the 62 homes on their Richmond estate told Metro they were asked to pay up to an extra £700 per month if they wanted to stay.

In the letter seen by Metro, the charity openly acknowledges this is ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act being brought into force, which will stop landlords from suddenly upping their prices.

Residents, who work jobs outside of the armed forces, have since been handed Section 21 notices, which are ‘no–fault’ eviction letters.

The Renters’ Rights Act is set to abolish this, but will come into force next month.

This has left residents, many with children, pleading with the Poppy Factory to be able to stay.

Stephen Garford, 64, has been living on the estate for 23 years, and says he he has started taking anti-depressants to cope with the stress after they asked for just short of an extra £800 per month.

He told Metro: ‘All my friends are here, and I feel really low about leaving. I wake every hour every night, I have no appetite.

‘The stress it has caused has affected me so much.’

Along with Acorn Union and Metro, they demanded to speak with CEO Amanda Shepard yesterday.

But no one would come out. Despite being able to see staff through windows, the charity refused to engage with those stood outside, even closing the curtains around the reception windows.

Instead the charity called the police, who confirmed to Metro they were called by the Poppy Factory before telling tenants to move away.

Kane, from Acorn, said: ‘It’s morally reprehensible. They have refused to meet with these people as a group.

‘But we aren’t going to give up.’

Residents had already agreed to a fixed yearly increase ‘to bring up the flat to market value’.

‘So the last thing I was expecting was for another increase on top of this,’ a tenant told Metro.

‘I have been here for more than 10 years with my son. We have been good tenants and have made a home here. I couldn’t stop crying when I got the letter.’

Another tenant added she has been cutting down on her monthly costs after her rent was raised last year, but cannot afford another £700 like they are asking.

She said: ‘It’s not like I am on minimum wage, I have a good job, but all of these sudden increases will make it hard for anyone to afford.

‘I have two children, I cannot just easily afford all of this. It’s really unfair.’

The Royal Borough of Richmond has no council housing, but works with associations to provide ‘social housing’.

But this number only comes to around 300 per year, making it near-impossible to find anywhere to live in the area on an average income.

A Poppy Factory spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of a protest that took place outside The Poppy Factory. Police attended as a precaution to support the safety of our whole community, which includes vulnerable members of production staff alongside tenants. The protest itself was peaceful.

‘Section 21 notices have been issued to a small number of private tenants as part of the legal tenancy process, following rent reviews that are carefully considered and in line with local market rents. This does not close the door to discussion.

‘We have made clear that we are willing to meet tenants individually, with representatives from Acorn present, to discuss their circumstances and concerns directly. We believe this is the most productive way to move conversations forward.’

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