Horrible Eviction Ends in Tragedy

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URGENT SOLIDARITY APPEAL BELOW! WOMAN DISABLED AFTER BEING THROWN OUT INTO THE STREET

We are calling for support for our friend, who was made homeless by the heartless policies of the state and who now is in a tragic situation.

Ewa was evicted from her home by force and, a few days later, still in a state of shock, she was hit by a truck. She had to have her leg amputated. Now she is without a roof over her head and may not be able to support herself for a long time. Ewa was a low income earner. It is difficult in Poland for older women on the job market and the type of work she received was part-time dishwashing. The restaurants try to avoid hiring anybody full-time to avoid paying benefits.

Ewa lived in state-owned housing. People like her are in a precarious situation, which is made worse by speculators looking to make more money off real estate. Tenants who have low rents are treated badly, as if they were burdens.

The state owners (a state owned agency, WAM, and not the municipality), decided to kick Ewa out under the pretext that her rental contract was in her dead husband’s name, and not hers. For years, she had continued, like thousands of other family members, to live in the flat and pay the rent. But WAM routinely kicks out families, as many recent incidents prove it.

City officials, in an apparent show of force to the tenants, decided to use force to evict Ewa on August 6.

Although Ewa has a very low income which would qualify for social housing, the local council denied it to her. The reason, we were told, was that she was not yet homeless. Although the city knew she was being evicted and ordered the police to prevent anti-eviction activists from stopping the eviction. It seems that the city officials think people should wait until they are made homeless, before they can apply for social housing. Apparently, spending a few months out in the street is nothing to worry about.

In October, the first attempt by authorities to evict Ewa was successfully blocked by activists. But the second attempt sadly ended in Ewa becoming homeless. This time, a squadron of police and riot police was used. Ewa lost consciousness during the action and was hospitalised.

She was offered no help at all by the city authorities. She was just thrown out on the street.

A few days later, still suffering from the shock and trying to find a place to stay, Ewa was hit by a truck. She was gravely wounded and as a result, she had to have her leg amputated. Now, besides being homeless, she has to face disability.

The Committee of Defense of Tenants is collecting money for a wheelchair, prosthesis and housing.

Please donate what you can. On the transfer, write “For Ewa”.

Bank details:
Jakub Gawlikowski
(PL) 05 1140 2004 0000 3702 4238 2269
BRE Bank S.A. Retail Banking, al. Mickiewicza 10, 90-050 Łódź
BIC/SWIFT: BREXPLPWMUL
SORT CODE: 11402004

You can watch a movie from a previous blockade of eviction here: https://lokatorzy.info.pl/eksmisja-na-ul-sempolowskiej-zablokowana/

Sadly, this time the police removed the protesters by force.

Ewa is an activist herself, and has many times participated in blockades of evictions of other people.