SOCIAL housing organisations in London’s deprived East End have been slated in a Commons motion. An Early Day motion from the East End’s firey MP George Galloway blames the current public housing crisis on the Government and local authorities

By Mike Brooke

SOCIAL landlords in London’s deprived East End—which suffers one of Britain’s worst housing shortages—have been slated in a Commons motion.

The Early Day motion from the East End’s firey MP George Galloway blames the current public housing crisis on the Government and local authorities.

Many tenants and leaseholders were hit with “lavish bribes” to transfer out of council ownership to private housing associations—but have voted against, the MP points out.

ABANDONED

The policy of stock transfer has now been abandoned in Tower Hamlets in the face of public opposition, his Parliamentary motion cites.

“Residents now living under many of the social landlords are extremely unhappy over charges and services,” it says.

“The list of social landlords with which there is the greatest dissatisfaction includes Swan Housing Association, Old Ford Housing Association, One Housing Group and East End Homes.”

The Bethnal Green & Bow MP’s motion calls for essential legislation to be brought forward “urgently” to make the private housing associations more directly accountable to residents and to their local authorities.