New Era Estate
The New Era estate is a housing estate in Hoxton, in the London Borough of Hackney, part of East London. Approximately 100 families lived on the estate in 2015. The New Era Tenants' Association of estate residents had been involved in protests over the increase in rents proposed by its new landlord, the U.S.-based investment fund Westbrook Partners. After Russell Brand joined the protests in 2014, footage of his clash with a television reporter at a 10 Downing Street demonstration in Westminster went viral on YouTube, bringing the issue to greater public notice. A petition raised 350,000  signatures in support of the residents, and Hackney Council became involved in negotiations with Westbrook Partners. In December 2014, it was confirmed that the housing estate was to be sold to the affordable housing group Dolphin Living, a housing provider owned by the Dolphin Square Charitable Foundation.