Years-Long Waiting Lists For Social Housing In Lambeth

A severe housing shortage in Lambeth means people are waiting for a council home for years, with one resident joining the list in 1975. According to a Freedom of Information request, someone joined the list 44 years ago and has yet to be given social housing. Lambeth Council said the oldest applications “include people who are adequately housed and therefore have no priority for social housing, and who are not actively seeking rehousing but remain on the list at their own request.”  Nearly 30,000 people are waiting for a council home in the borough.  Read more on the Wandsworth Guardian website.

https://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/news/18061394.years-long-waiting-lists-social-housing-lambeth/

Dozens of Families "Being Made Homeless" By Benefits Cap

Tooting MP Sadiq Khan criticised the Government for making nearly 100 Wandsworth families homeless due to the benefits cap. An annual housing resources and commitments report published by the council said of the 626 private rented sector households where the cap was applied, 96 were admitted into temporary accommodated provided by the council because they could not afford the bills. The MP said the only way to solve the problem would be to tackle why people relied on benefits to make ends meet, to build more affordable and social housing and set fair rents. Read more on the Wandsworth Guardian website.

Homeless Wandsworth Families to Be Housed As Far Away As Birmingham

As part of the borough’s homelessness battle the council has arranged 62 properties for private licence agreements, 19 of which are out of the borough. The areas include Kingston, Sutton, Reigate and Banstead, Merton, Croydon, Lambeth, Birmingham, Portsmouth City, Leicester, West Bromwich and High Wycombe. Last year, the council’s £5m project of buying properties for its homeless in less expensive areas of outer London was revealed. Now it has emerged that £1.25m emergency funding has been agreed to help with ongoing pressures and a second £5m fund will be used this year to buy large units of temporary accommodation inside and outside the borough. Read more on the Wandsworth Guardian website.