The correspondence that I received today from my Council Leader, gives a damning insight into London's Housing Crisis. I stand fully behind the actions taken by Councillor Catherine West, leader of Islington Council to make Islington a fairer place. I hope you will add your support.
Here's the letter:
15th June 2012.
Dear Jennette
Yet again, the first email I opened this morning was from a local family living in a flat so overcrowded it is ruining their lives.
Distressingly, they are not alone. They are one family out of 13,000 on our housing waiting list. 3,000 of them suffering in severely overcrowded homes. It's the issue people contact me about more than any other.
It shames us all that in 2012 there are still people living in these conditions in our borough.
I'm proud that our number one priority is building the genuinely affordable family sized homes Islington so desperately needs.
Overcrowding ruins lives. Talent is wasted when young people in the borough fail at school because they have nowhere to do homework. Health is ruined when damp and stress stems from too many people living in a small flat.
There is a housing crisis in Islington and we must tackle it. That's why we're pushing forward with Islington's biggest social home building programme for thirty years and why we're the only London council to reject the Conservative-led government's 'affordable' rents and commit to genuinely social rent.
Better housing is crucial to making Islington a fairer place. We can make a real difference by pressing on with building the affordable homes we so badly need.
I've received too many messages from local people who desperately need a decent home.
I've heard them. I hope I can count on your support too.
Yours
Cllr Catherine West
Leader, Islington Council