Something must be done about Island Homes

Dear Ed, SOMETHING has gone terribly wrong at Island Homes registered social landlord’ on the Isle of Dogs, including their failure to establish a residents-led management board. The situation on the former council estates was so bad that even Labour Tower Hamlets council was forced to write to the Housing Minister Margaret Beckett in November asking her to intervene

Dear Ed,

SOMETHING has gone terribly wrong at Island Homes registered social landlord’. We have heard a succession of complaints for some time now about Island Homes’ management, including and above all their failure to establish a residents-led management board.

The situation on their former council estates on the Isle of Dogs was so bad that even the Labour Tower Hamlets council, which encouraged the transfer of so much of its public housing stock to the private sector, was forced to write to the Housing Minister Margaret Beckett in November asking her to intervene. Residents are still waiting to see the response to this letter as nothing seems to have been done.

Now we learn a very experienced and well-respected housing officer, Debbie Cordrey, has been summarily dismissed. The Respect Group at Tower Hamlets council gives her our full support and demands her immediate reinstatement.

The Government and the council must act. If it requires legislation to take control of this social landlord, then the Government must rush that law through. The Government created this mess with its stock transfer programme. Now it must sort it out.

Cllr Dulal Uddin

Respect Group Deputy Leader

Tower Hamlets council

Town Hall, Blackwall

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