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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 2 October 2009

Progress on rehousing

• I AM writing to reassure your readers that we have given helping families who live in overcrowded conditions the highest priority in our housing plans. (Don’t they care about the poor?, September 25).
We recognise the extent and the seriousness of this problem and have pledged to offer larger accommodation to 1,000 families on our current waiting list who live in overcrowded conditions.
Our first step was to rehouse more than 40 families that need at least two more bedrooms. We are making progress and so far have rehoused 23 families from this group and will aim to offer larger homes to the remaining families by the end of this year.
In the long-term, our programme to build almost 500 new homes, many of them family- sized properties, will also help to tackle this issue. In addition we have also purchased more than 100 homes to help families who were living in temporary accommodation.
We know, however, that there is much more to be done. It is unacceptable that, in the 21st century, so many people continue to live in homes that are far too small for them, often exacerbating already vulnerable situations.
For these families a solution is much needed and to really tackle it we need broader reform.
We are lobbying the government as we believe that really to tackle overcrowding there has to be an overhaul of the current legislation with the government’s temporary accommodation target being abolished and appropriate reforms to council housing finance pushed through.
We must act swiftly so the distressing plight of families who live in overcrowded homes does not continue any longer.
Cllr Philippa Roe
Cabinet Member for Housing

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld.
Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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