Housing Crisis: the Westminster Letters

Westminster's cabinet member for housing Philippa Roe wasted little time before writing to housing minster Grant Shapps to seek "urgent clarification" about the government's planned housing benefit caps. Her letter of 5 July began by assuring him that Westminster was in "full support" of the measure. However, she sought Shapps's support for three "associated changes" which she argued would "complement" the objective of the policy change and "allow local authorities to successfully manage its implementation." Each change would reduce the borough's responsibility to rehouse locally residents who become homeless. Read how Westminster would like to minimise its responsibilities by increasing the “local connection” qualifying period and moving homeless people out of the borough into cheaper areas plus Grant Shapps’ initial reply on The Guardian website by clicking on the logo below.