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What happens to people living in too big a home?
• TWO problems face Camden tenants (New Journal, August 13).
One is overcrowding – a family with two or three children with only one bedroom.
The other is someone now living on their own in a family home that has become too expensive and burdensome to maintain.
So the council has asked people living in homes that are too big for them what they would like.
They want help with removals, a new kitchen and bathroom, and ground-floor locations near health support if possible.
This is what the council is offering, as well as some cash compensation.
This replaces the scheme the old Labour council ran, which was inflexible and inefficient.
Nobody is under any pressure to downsize.
It is a good idea, with benefits for everybody who can take advantage of it.
And Councillor Jonathan Simpson, he says “no” (‘Downsize’? Bid to empty large homes, August 13).
He puts forward possible difficulties with private landlords, when he must know this is about helping people get the right council flat not about private alternatives.
He raises concerns about losing a secured tenancy. He even worries about a tenant not having a democratically-elected landlord.
Was it not his Labour pßarty that campaigned vigorously to hand over all of Camden’s estates to an arms length management organisation?
ELIZABETH STANTON JONES
Heathcote Street, WC1
All about residents
• YOUR article (‘Downsize’? Bid to empty large homes, August 13) is, as a Town Hall spokesman said, highly “misleading”.
First, it’s nonsense to say this is about emptying any homes, in fact it’s about putting already half-empty homes back into fuller use.
Secondly, this is all about residents, particularly our older council residents, and how we can help them. This isn’t about pressuring anyone to move, but I know from personal experience that many of our older residents are interested to consider a smaller council flat once their family has left home, often saving them rent and fuel costs.
When we discussed our new proposals in district management committees and in the housing strategy policy forum several residents expressed their frustration that they were keen to move to let a larger family benefit from their flat, but the old policy wasn’t helping them.
The fact is that the old policy we inherited from Labour, which offered thousands of pounds to get people to move, just wasn’t working.
Anyone who offers to give up a larger flat should be compensated, of course, but the older people who I’ve talked to have said what they want above all is two things: help with the move, and a better location. So that’s what we’ll be offering to anyone who says they’re interested – help arranging the move, with getting a new kitchen and bathroom, and organising decorations and carpets; and, if we can, a ground-floor council flat, nearer to health facilities for those who have medical concerns.
If someone offers to give up the home made their own for many years, they fully deserve this help and support.
As everyone knows, hundreds of Camden families are severely overcrowded or stuck in temporary accommodation.
If we can help some of these by helping some of our elderly residents “right-size” their accommodation, then I am sure that is what the wider community would expect us to do. (And no, Councillor Jonathan Simpson, this is about helping Camden residents stay in our council accommodation, it’s not about private sector alternatives – though of course if that’s what people want we will advise.)
CLLR CHRIS NAYLOR
Executive Member for Homes and Housing Strategy
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