We need more affordable council housing

Published: 1:03 PM March 10, 2009 Updated: 6:44 AM October 14, 2020

The issue of the rebuilding of another tower block in place of The Lintons, Linton Road, Barking raises a serious concern about the selling off of former council housing stock within our borough, (Post February 25). What is happening here is privatisatio

The issue of the rebuilding of another tower block in place of The Lintons, Linton Road, Barking raises a serious concern about the selling off of former council housing stock within our borough, (Post February 25).

What is happening here is privatisation. Basically, our council demolishes publicly owned council estates and sells off the land to a housing association in the name of regeneration. This has recently happened to Cadiz Court, Rainham Road South, Dagenham for example.

These newer higher density housing association properties are usually much smaller inside than what was demolished, for example "flats" become "apartments" (with a shared kitchen and lounge together) have higher rents and service charges and have landlords more unaccountable to us the electorate, unlike our councils at present.

This borough urgently needs more affordable council housing now more than ever, especially new council houses.

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This borough already has far too many flats offered for sale on a part buy, part rent basis. Most of our residents will never be able to afford these new properties because they will never be given a mortgage.

Our Labour council should be pressing our Labour government for the money and permission to rebuild council houses for us now, and should stop selling off our council housing at once.