Tower Hamlets families are living in “pain and anguish” due to overcrowded housing, as the council struggles to find larger homes, the borough’s mayor has said.
The council aims to let at least 48 council homes to overcrowded families each quarter, but only 30 were let between January and March, and 38 in the previous three months.
Borough mayor Lutfur Rahman, of the Aspire Party, said the shortfall gave him “cause for concern given the number of families who are living in overcrowded households and the pain and anguish, and the difficulties, that come with it.”
Shortage of Larger Properties
Council housing bosses say they are struggling to find homes for overcrowded families due to a lack of larger properties. They report that 42% of the council’s current stock consists of one-bedroom homes, “which do not adequately meet the needs of overcrowded families.”
Rocketing demand for temporary accommodation for homeless families has exacerbated the shortage, the council says.
Efforts to Address the Issue
Officers said they were encouraging tenants with more rooms than they need to downsize. They also mentioned the recent acquisition of 50 newly-built larger homes at a development in Byron Street, Poplar, as part of a planning agreement.
Speaking at a meeting of his leading cabinet committee on Wednesday (27th July), Rahman said that “overcrowding is a serious issue in Tower Hamlets.” He suggested the council could do more, such as speeding up downsizing and knocking through walls where a council property becomes vacant next to an overcrowded home.
Rahman said: “I don’t think we are doing a good job of downsizing. When it comes to housebuilding, we’re leading the way. But with other stuff we can do as a local authority where we can reduce overcrowding, I don’t think we’re good at it.”
He added that the council wouldn’t “be able to rehouse everyone who’s on the overcrowding list, but we’ve got to keep up the pressure. This is people languishing in overcrowded homes.”
