News / Housing
Young family resist eviction from temporary accommodation
Bailiffs sent by Bristol City Council have failed to evict a family for a second time after peaceful resistance from campaigners.
Khalid Ebrahim and his four children were told they could no longer stay at their temporary accommodation on Mina Road after he turned down an offer of alternative housing because he said it would set back his disabled son’s progress.
The son, who is severely autistic and was previously non-verbal, would struggle with being moved to a far-away part of the city as he does not cope with change, his father said.
“The problem is, every time we move you delay him or take him back. He’s got a problem with changing the door of the house; the colour,;the way his bed is.
“To move him completely, he’s never going to be independent. He’s still going to be dependent on me for the rest of my life, but I’m not going to be here forever.”
Members of ACORN, a community housing union, gathered around the St Werburgh’s property to resist the eviction on Tuesday.
Around midday, two bailiffs arrived in separate cars. Seeing the crowd by the house, they did not attempt to carry out the eviction but instead took photos of the scene and returned to their cars.
One drove off to heckles from ACORN members but the slower man failed to get away before the protestors reached him.
“Did you want to react to you evicting children and a family in 33 degree heat?” one asked through the window as the car pulled away.
If there was a response, it was inaudible.
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ACORN member Ygor said: “Whenever we run eviction resistances it becomes so apparent how easy it is to actually take what’s yours, to stand by what you deserve.
“We love to see (the bailiffs) walk away scared because we know they are experiencing a fraction of what they induce in people every single day.”
Councillor Barry Parsons, who chairs the council’s homes and housing delivery committee, said: “The need for housing across Bristol remains significant, with more than 18,000 households on the waiting list for social housing and over 1,500 currently living in temporary accommodation.
“Eviction is always a last resort, particularly where children are involved. We have worked extensively with the family over a sustained period to explore a range of suitable housing options.
“Given the level of demand for housing in the city, it is important that available accommodation is used to support those in greatest need. We will continue to work with the family to help them find a suitable home.”
Ebrahim used to work full time and rent privately until he stopped being able to afford it after getting full custody of his children.
He said he feels trapped in the benefits system, able to work only a certain number of hours a week in order to stay on housing benefit because if he wasn’t on the benefit he wouldn’t be able to afford the rent.
But at the same time, only having part-time work means he is unable to afford things and cannot move out of the poverty cycle.
Ebrahim and his four children have been in temporary accommodation since 2019, with Ebrahim not allowed to be away from his house for more than 24 hours and unable to have visitors after 9pm.
“It’s like an open prison. That’s how I feel,” he said.
“My younger kids can’t stay over; I haven’t been on holiday for seven years; I can’t cover my expenses because I can’t work.
“I will leave to your imagination the suffering and the sadness that we’ve been through.”
ACORN, however, has given the man some hope – in particular Sam Lane who has been keeping in touch with him.
“He’s my saviour,” Ebrahim said. “He’s been sent from God straight to me to protect me and my kids.”
Main photo: Molly Pipe
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