A Twitter spat has broken out between supporters of one of London’s last remaining communes and the housing association threatening its members with eviction.
Landlords One Housing Group (OHG) want the Crescent Road Community (CRC), who have lived in three connected houses in Coombe Hill for 37 years, to leave.
The group has gathered 8,116 signatures in a petition calling for them and its sister commune in Islington, also run by OHG, to be able to stay put in their homes.
But a tweet from OHG’s official twitter account read: "Take a stand! Sign the petition if you think fairness and giving homes to the most needy suck."
Another added: "Support idealism over providing homes to people on the waiting list. Sign the petition."
Kingston Labour replied and said: "You should know that Kingston Council is so impressed with you that it’s considering removing your preferred supplier status."
A number of Twitter users also reported being blocked from contacting OHG on the social networking site.
Kingston Council leader Kevin Davis accused OHG landlords of "bullying" the CRC at last week's full council meeting.
He said: "These associations function more like businesses than community interests.
"It is pretty clear we must support and do what we can for this community.
"I don’t often get up here and start suggesting we put a gun to an organisation’s head but I have been shocked by One Housing’s attitude."
Coun Davis added that if the OHG’s tactics continued then its social homebuilding relationship with the council "would be threatened".
OHG responded by tweeting: "We have virtually no projects in the borough and nothing in the pipeline."
- Three homes, a Franciscan monk and one very big family: the story of the Kingston commune now threatened with eviction after 37 years
A spokeswoman for the company said: "We are aware that Crescent Road Community petitioned Kingston Council. However, this does not change our position.
"We have asked many times for the residents to send us their details (standard information that any landlord would expect to have to comply with our legal and other obligations), and currently we have not received any information forms back or supporting documents.
"As a social landlord, we are bound by our duty to build more homes and house people who are the most vulnerable in society. We understand how distressing the prospect of leaving their homes must be to the residents.
"As we have said many times we intend to re-house anyone who fits Kingston Council’s normal social housing allocation criteria."
The community helped start the Kingston Green Fair in the 1980's
Chris Murphy, from CRC, denied the group had not been complying with their landlords, and insisted they just wanted to preserve their way of life for future generations.
He said: "We have lost faith and trust in OHG but would like to state again that we are more than willing to fit into whatever regulatory requirements we need to as long as the continuation of the community is assured, not just for current residents but for the people who come after us who can benefit from this way of living."
The homes are valued at an estimated £3m and were originally bought by Patchwork Housing with a grant from Kingston Council before OHG took on the site in 2006.
The commune has received high profile support from the likes of Russell Brand, north Kingston MP Zac Goldsmith and comedian Josie Long.
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