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The Estate We're In

Duration: 1 hour

First broadcast: on BBC One HDLatest broadcast: on BBC Two HD

Situated beside the beautiful Welsh Harp Reservoir, the West Hendon Estate was built in the 1960s to provide housing for families on low incomes. Today, the local council have deemed that the estate's 'grotty' buildings are beyond repair and, in partnership with private developers, the estate is being demolished to make way for a multimillion-pound regeneration which will transform the area into a luxury housing development.

For many of the residents, the regeneration has caused uncertainty and stress. Council tenant Katrina, who has lived on the estate all her life, has been told that she and her daughter are being evicted from their flat. Pensioner Joe will have to sell the maisonette that he has lived in for 30 years and saved up to purchase under right to buy. If the council do not increase their offer he will have to leave London - and the three generations of his family who live locally - to afford a home elsewhere.

Filmed over a year, The Estate We're In follows homeowners and council tenants as they fight to save their homes and campaign against a planned multimillion-pound regeneration, which they claim is forcing low-income families out of London. Council leaders argue that there is no public money available and that private investment is the only way to supply much-needed housing.

Through the experiences of the residents, the film gives an intimate perspective on the housing crisis and raises broader questions: What makes a community? Is it possible to fight the system? And are the rights of the poor being ignored for the benefit of the rich? Show less

Contributors

Executive Producer:
Ros Franey
Executive Producer:
Patrick Holland
Executive Producer:
Jane Merkin

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