Name and shame East London’s slum’ landlords call

A CAMPAIGN begins today by 40 organisations to tackle slum’ properties where thousands of families are forced to live in. They want “unscrupulous property barons” to be named-and-shamed if they won’t sign up to a Decent Homes’ charter

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A CAMPAIGN begins today by 40 organisations to tackle 'slum' properties where thousands of families are forced to live in.

They want "unscrupulous property barons" in East London to be named-and-shamed if they won't sign up to a 'Decent Homes' charter.

Housing is said to be 'in crisis' with six-and-a-half thousand dependent and expected children growing up in temporary rooms in just one borough alone.

More households are in makeshift accommodation and on Newham's housing waiting lists than in any other London borough, the 4-in-10 umbrella campaign points out.

"We want to 'name and shame' those landlords and agents failing the families living in their properties," said campaign development manager Liz Thorne. "It's time these unscrupulous barons were forced to smarten up their act."

The local authority is said to own just 100 temporary homes, forcing thousands of families into short-stay properties under private landlords, many of whom are accused of neglecting their basic legal responsibilities.

The campaign has received a flood of complaints from families and its affiliated organisations over the past few months about 'slum conditions' including dampness, lack of security, dangerous electrical wiring and lack of maintenance.