Horden village, like so many in County Durham grew up around the pit, which was open from 1900-87. It has been recorded that “on the 9 May 1930, 6,758 tonnes of coal were mined at the colliery; at the time a new European colliery record for the most coal mined in a single day”. In 1969, the pit brass band made it to the national finals in Blackpool. The proud history of Horden as a mining village ended in 1987, when the mine closed and the main raison d’etre for Horden was lost. As in other areas of the Durham coalfield, few new jobs replaced those lost and so many people left looking for jobs elsewhere.
During the 20th century Horden was a place where people took real pride in their work, themselves and the terraced streets in which they lived. Family matriarchs would often scrub the front steps of the houses and the streets were clear of rubbish. Today, some 38 years after the closure of the mine, the situation is very different. It was reported on New Year’s Eve that “many houses in this deprived pocket of east Durham are abandoned. Smashed windows and rubbish-strewn streets are a common sight. In efforts to improve the image of the area, the local council has installed fake doors and windows to cover up the sad state of these once-loved homes”.
Homeless families from London
It was also reported that some of the houses were now being filled by “an influx of new arrivals: homeless families, many of whom feel they have been forced there by big city councils located hundreds of miles away”. Many of them have been sent to Horden from as far away as London.
The Guardian reported that it had spoken to homeless people and families sent up from London. If they refused an offer of a private tenancy in the area, homeless people in London were given a 24-hour threat of eviction from temporary accommodation. Some councils in the south were simply saying that you were intentionally homeless if you refused to move north. Vulnerable families and young single mothers were said to be often those who were given the ultimatum.
Those that the Guardian spoke to told pitiful stories of neglect and not being helped by the councils sending them to County Durham. They included a father and his nine-year old son, who arrived in Horden with nothing more than a pillow each. The father said that a man had met him upon arrival and given him a key, saying that he would be back the next day to “help him with everything”. However, it was reported that he had not returned.
The father turned to East Durham Trust, a local poverty charity, which he said had helped him settle into the area, enrolling him into an English class at a local college and helped to fix the problems in his home.
North East grappling with its own homelessness crisis
Georgia Miller, who works at the charity said: “It’s not giving them a chance. They’ve placed him there with a child who is potentially influenced by his surroundings. He’s going to struggle to get into work. They’re putting these families into areas where there’s not the facilities that they need.”
It was also reported that the new arrivals had not only come as a surprise to local people. According to Durham county council, people had been moved to the region without its knowledge. It was also noted that, “the North East is grappling with its own growing homelessness crisis, with the Northern Echo reporting that hundreds of children in the region are living in temporary accommodation.”
Graham Easterly, the chief executive officer of the East Durham Trust provides a range of services including financial advice, food parcels and call-in sessions for vulnerable people said: “We have seen a rise across the board in need. When you bring even more vulnerable people into that space, it is undoubtedly going to add pressure. We are a very welcoming place, the community spirit here is massive. But should that be exploited by other councils seeking to inappropriately discharge their housing duty? No. Human beings are bearing the cost of this policy.”
This policy seems to be widespread and is costing the councils in London, which are implementing it millions each year. According to an analysis by the Guardian, councils in London are paying millions to private companies such as Reloc8 UK. They were reported as saying that they had procured homes in London and Birmingham over the years but had stated that, “there are times when certain areas are more prevalent due to availability, affordability for tenants and many other factors”.
Reloc8 UK was also said to provide transport and removal services for relocated families as well as basic household furniture and appliances. The firm said that, at a minimum, it provided families with a brand new cooker, fridge freezer and beds, the costs of which are paid back by councils. It was also stated that the sums paid to Reloc8 UK also included incentive payments to landlords to encourage them to accept low-income tenants.
Reloc8 UK also stated it could not comment on individual councils’ policies, but many families had used its services to move on a voluntary basis. The firm also said “councils saved about £20,000 per family over a two-year period compared with if they had remained in temporary accommodation”.
Comments from County Durham MPs
Mary Kelly Foy, the MP for the City of Durham said: “It’s beyond belief that managing agents are making money from what appears to be little more than social cleansing. Not only is it desperately unfair on families that are being dropped in to areas with no ongoing support in place, it’s shameful that no additional support is being provided to the communities in which they being placed, often already battling extreme poverty and deprivation.”
Grahame Morris, the MP for nearby Easington, added: “Offering families the option to move to areas like County Durham is one thing; forcing them to relocate under the threat of homelessness is quite another. This practice is no longer a rare exception but a matter of routine. When these councils neglect their duty, it falls to community groups and charities in my constituency to pick up the pieces.”
It was also reported that the increasing concern of MPs in the North East had led to Angela Rayner warning councils last month against surprise relocations, reminding them of their “legal responsibilities”.
Lack of humanity
This is a concerning story on so many levels, but the lack of concern for people and their humanity seems to be the common thread. A lack of concern for those who are being forced to relocate to a place where they know nobody and haven’t got the networks they need, while those trying to help them are not being given the resources they need. Shouldn’t humans be treated with more compassion and respect?
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