Cllr Peter Golds, Leader of the Conservative Group on Tower Hamlets Council, on the scandal of subsidised housing for the welathy political elite
There are over 23,000 families on the waiting list for homes in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The vast majority of these will never secure a home via the social rented sector and very many are truly deserving cases.
For others social housing appears to be a right, whether they need it or not.
The press, members of the public and many councillors are often bemused at the recitation of interests from amongst certain councillors when housing issues are raised in Tower Hamlets. For some time Conservative councillors have been researching a dossier to be passed to the Minister for Housing calling for action. He has actually announced this as the dossier arrived on his desk.
How could anyone live in social rented property, drive a large car, have several businesses and even have another property purchased under right to buy, well it happens here?
How can a self promoting millionaire with a large property portfolio consisting of houses, shops and restaurants boast of improving the swimming pool in a property he owns in South Woodford continue to
occupy a property in this most deprived of boroughs, a property owned and managed by the Peabody Trust no less?
Then we have the convicted fraudster, Councillor Shelina Akhtar or Shelina Aktar in other documents with two properties. There is Baroness Uddin of Bethnal Green with her designated home in Maidstone enjoying a highly subsidised rent of just £124 per week, courtesy of the Spitalfields Housing association, for a three story town house within walking distance of the City of London.
Perhaps most scandalous is the former council officer and part time politician, with an income, calculated from publicly available information of £247,000, with a rented property address in key worker housing, provided by the Newlon Housing Association in this borough, as well as being the owner occupier of a large family house elsewhere.
None of these people, and there are many more, should be allowed to occupy social housing when there are needy people who are often in desperate circumstances.
Last week a tenant seeking transfer of a tenancy held by his family for 40 years, more than his entire life, was told he could retain a tenancy but would have to leave the three bedroom family home. He earns less than £20,000 per year.
A year ago One Housing threatened a local woman with eviction. Why? Because, she told the landlord that after a period of unemployment she had secured a job. The job was for a cruise line and she would be
away, “living” on a cruise ship for periods.
We believe that: