Forum Topic

In London alone c.90,000 children in 'temporary accommodation'

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/homeless-london-children-rough-sleepers-city-b1772337.htmlIn the 21st century this cannot be acceptable ? Earlier this year a woman and her disabled husband were forced into temporary accommodation due to an unscrupulous landlord. The way they described this accommodation was truly the stuff of nightmares, thankfully Cllr Jo Biddolph intervened and LBH found them a lovely flat in Isleworth.But that's an exception to most cases like this, how can it be acceptable in this day an age that across London there are c.90,000 children with parent(s) in temporary accommodation where 4 - 6 families share 1 kitchen and 1 bathroom ?Yet many more affluent families are worried that they may not be able to spend this Christmas with close and distant relatives and friends. Have we got our priorities right and should we and local authorities do more ?

Loraine Pemberton ● 2144d2 Comments

First of all this absolute nonsesical tripe about 'affordable' housing should be banned, and the government should (but won't) fund a massive social housing programme, which would be truly affordable to far more people. That of course would upset their developer donors, and that would never do, A percentage of new builds should have a mandatory percentage especially for social housing - no arguments, excuses and moving the goalposts when they are halfway through the processs - mandatory. The whole business of leasehold property should be abolished, and the legislation covering private landlord/tenant relationships really needs an overhaul for the benefit of both parties. I am not holding my breath - when we have a Government MP with a £5M property portfolio charging us for hotel accomodation so she can carry on raking in the rent, you have to ask - do these people actually have a clue?

Vanessa Smith ● 2144d

I agree that it is completely unacceptable especially as I am old enough to remember a time that rough sleeping in London outside of Soho was almost non-existent.  One problem is that so many people have grown up with this that they just take it for granted or, to put it another way, they don’t care enough. Or they think the problem is just too big.  Or they blame the homeless themselves for their plight.I wish more people would spend some time in countries that *have* dealt with this problem effectively and then come home and feel sufficiently ashamed and angry so that they demand action from politicians and withdraw support from those who make excuses and do nothing.

Alastair Banton ● 2144d