Campaigners say Lewisham council’s proposed housing waiting list plans will harm thousands of families

Housing campaigners are protesting proposed changes to the housing waiting list saying it will disproportionately affect people from BAME communities.

Lewisham council have put forward a new policy that would see 5,011 households in overcrowded residences put in a lower housing band, meaning it will be harder for them to be rehoused.

Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth and Lewisham Law Centre have warned that this will have a devastating impact on families in overcrowded housing.

It will also affect people from ethnic minorities more, as while only 2% of White British households are overcrowded, 30% of Bangladeshi households and 15% of Black African households are.

Maria, a HASL member who lives in a small one bedroom flat with her daughters aged 13 and 19 said: “My two daughters sleep in the same bedroom and I sleep in the living room next to the kitchen because it is open plan.

“The property is old, it’s very cold, and we have to put the heating on full, so the bills have gone up and electricity and water. All the bills have increased.

“It’s very bad what the council are proposing, I feel like the council is being really insensitive because now everyone is struggling financially, emotionally, mentally, they are not pulling their weight on the situation – I feel like how they are acting is inhumane, they should be helping us in this situation.”

The proposal has also come during lockdown, where living in an overcrowded house is much harder.

Covid is more likely to spread between family members and there are worries about the mental health of people who are spending lockdown in cramped houses.

Maria said: “In the lockdown my daughters are at home 24/7. They are both studying at home and it is causing a lot of stress and conflict between them. They are studying online classes and they argue because they need more space.”

Lewisham council is running an online consultation on the new policy, which will end on February 14.

Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth and Lewisham Law Centre have also raised concerns that the consultation is not accessible for those who are not computer literate or who do not speak English.

Elizabeth Wyatt, spokesperson from HASL said: “Lewisham council must still make sure their housing waiting list policy reflects the housing needs of Lewisham residents and is as fair as possible.

“The new policy is very misleading as it claims to help families in severely overcrowded housing when in fact many families will find themselves demoted. The new policy sees Lewisham council down-playing the seriousness of overcrowding and further marginalising victims of the housing crisis. Lewisham council must urgently re-think this new policy.

“We know first-hand about the desperate shortage of council homes. Many of our members have been living for years in temporary accommodation outside of their home borough, others are living in seriously overcrowded private rented housing.

“As well as overcrowded and poor housing conditions, these families also face high rents and high insecurity. The Covid 19 pandemic has made these living conditions unbearable. We urgently need high quality, safe, secure 3, 4, 5 bed council homes to help solve the housing crisis.”

Cllr Paul Bell, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning said: “The Council is currently consulting on proposed changes to the housing allocation scheme. We are keen to hear from residents and would encourage them to take part and share their views. 

“Like the rest of London, Lewisham is facing a housing crisis. We have nearly 10,000 households on the housing waiting list and over 2,400 currently living in temporary accommodation. The proposals we are consulting on seek to address overcrowding, giving higher priority to the most severe cases.

“As with all consultations we undertake, robust Equalities Impact Assessments will be carried out to ensure that any disproportionate effects on minority groups are identified and minimised.

“In order to ensure the consultation is accessible to all residents, we are offering translation services, and paper copies are available upon request. Officers are available to talk to residents over the phone if they have difficulty understanding any part of the consultation. 

“We are also working with community organisations to publicise the consultation among hard-to-reach groups and encourage their participation. As these proposals are still at the consultation stage, our main priority is to listen to residents’ feedback before any changes are confirmed.”

Pictured top: HASL members at a group meeting before Covid-19