An East London family facing eviction over tenancy fraud appear to have lost the support of the Mayor of Hackney after the council was granted a fresh warrant to remove them. Earlier this year, Green Party councillors twice joined activists in an 'eviction resistance' to block bailiffs from entering a council property where tenant Charity Oppong has lived for two decades.
Background of the Case
Ms Oppong's name is not on the tenancy agreement, but the London Renters Union (LRU), the now-Mayor of Hackney Zoë Garbett, and her appointed deputy Cllr Dylan Law have in the recent past campaigned for the family to stay. This is due to the impact that the council’s plan to move them into temporary accommodation would have on Ms Oppong's family, particularly her autistic seven-year-old son, Kayden.
The council previously offered to move the family into temporary accommodation in Newham, but the family, Kayden's teachers and clinical staff have warned this would be damaging for Kayden since it would move him "over an hour away" from the nearby St Paul's and St Michael's Primary School where he is settled. Sudden changes in routine can be deeply distressing for autistic children, and supporters have cited a King's College London report warning that neurodivergent children face "torture-like" conditions in temporary accommodation.
Tenancy Fraud Allegations
Ms Oppong moved into the flat nearly 20 years ago, when her sister-in-law, Janet Antwi, was on the tenancy agreement. Ms Antwi later moved to America but was unable to return. Ms Oppong stayed and continued paying the rent. However, neither of the women formally transferred the tenancy. The council discovered Ms Antwi was no longer an occupant in 2021. After this, they issued Ms Oppong with a renting card formally recognising her as a paying tenant, but triggered eviction proceedings on the grounds of tenancy fraud. In 2025, a judge granted the council a warrant to evict the household but the family have fought against this in the courts.
Political Shift After Election
Prior to the Greens’ historic victory at the local elections, Cllr Law said if the Greens were to win he would "definitely amend the succession rules" to let the family stay as he exhorted then-Mayor, Caroline Woodley, to "do the right thing" and stop the eviction. Ms Garbett, who at the time was co-leader of the Green opposition, also urged Mayor Woodley to formally give Ms Oppong the tenancy. "This is about making sure that children are safeguarded, harm is avoided and that the council is acting in line with its statutory responsibilities," she said.
Following two attempts by activists to repel bailiffs, in March a judge ordered that the council’s eviction warrant be suspended, but the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands the council last week (July 6) secured a fresh warrant to turf the family out.
Council's New Offer and Criticism
The council is now offering to move the family to temporary accommodation in Hackney. The LDRS gave the council and the Mayor’s office several opportunities to comment ahead of publication, but neither responded. A spokesperson for the LRU said the council "hadn’t taken the family’s needs into account". "Hackney Council needs to stop their attempts to evict children from a home where they have lived all their lives. Council officers have the power to let the family stay but are choosing to go ahead. We call on them to listen to the community and stop wasting resources on an unfair eviction," the spokesperson said.
Council officers had previously proposed that Kayden ride a bus with an assessor to prove his family’s claims that he is prone to meltdowns on public transport.
