Tower Hamlets praised for tackling overcrowding

Yvette Cooper, Minister for Housing has announced extra investment aimed at tackling overcrowding in all London boroughs and five other local authority overcrowding hotspots.

The new national Overcrowding Action Plan sets out proposals for increasing the number of larger homes nationally, with £15m funding over the next three years to help councils do more in the areas most under pressure.

Councillor Sirajul Islam, Lead Member for Housing, Tower Hamlets Council, said: “Tower Hamlets is a very densely populated borough. This extra funding will help us better support all our residents so they can move and live in homes which suit their needs – be that a smaller home for single occupiers or larger homes for families.”

Tower Hamlets Council is cited in the action plan as a good example for its successful and innovative ways of tackling overcrowding in the borough – which is one of the 38 overcrowded areas across the country.

Tower Hamlets Council offers enhanced grants to under-occupying tenants in properties with three or more bedrooms. There are dedicated support officers for these households and the council has established packing and removal service for vulnerable tenants.

As part of this initiative the council also provide intensive support for overcrowded tenants with specific health needs; offering these households appropriate advice and information on their housing options, so that they may secure a move to alternative suitable accommodation.

In a similar initiative last year (2006), the council were able to release a significant number of larger size homes and re-house 32 overcrowded tenants to alternative suitable accommodation. So far this year Tower Hamlets Council has re-housed 75 under-occupying families, freeing up these homes for most in need.

Following Tower Hamlets’ lead, the Government's plans include giving greater priority to under-occupiers, such as the elderly and middle-aged 'empty nesters' who want to move into smaller homes or nearer their families - making more larger homes available for families.

The Government will also help people to move across local authority boundaries, with additional funding of £3.8m to develop sub-regional choice-based lettings schemes across the country.