It’s not unusual for people to tell me how well I’ve done when I tell them that yes, I co-own my flat and yes, I live near the Olympic site. It’s meaningless to me. However, because I don’t want to move, this is my home. People get saucer-eyed when they talk about property values in Stratford and I want to say a few things about how this is affecting my immediate neighbourhood. There are a number of housing blocks going up, but there are changes that aren’t so apparent too. The area is changing from a medium density part of the city to an ultra-high density area.
I live in a Victorian terrace and the flat upstairs used to be occupied by one man. It is now occupied by between four and six people, including some migrant workers. The house next door used to be occupied by a small charity. Now there are twelve student rooms.
Noise never used to be a problem, and now it is. We hear people fighting upstairs and next door. The garden next door is now neglected. The people who live here are young and transient. Landlords are laughing in Stratford as they turn what could be beautiful housing stock into cheap and profitable slums.
Charlotte
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