AS THOUSANDS languish on housing waiting lists, the IWCA reveals the scandal of council homes auctioned to developers.
The council’s housing strategy drawn-up by Islington’s Lib Dem councillors places the aim of “increasing the supply of affordable housing” centre stage.
And yet, the IWCA can reveal that Cllrs have been flogging-off scores of desirable council-owned street properties to the highest bidder at auction.
These include a high number of six, five and four bedroom properties.
With around 14,000 in the borough on housing waiting lists and average prices for one and four bedroom properties weighing in at £185,000 and £410,000 respectively, affordable housing is in urgent demand.
In October Adam Sampson, director of the housing charity Shelter, described the level of overcrowding in Islington as “Dickensian”.
According to the Shelter report around 8,000 familieis in the borough are living in overcrowded conditions – the third worst level in the country.
In more than a quarter of these homes, children are forced to sleep in lounges, kitchens or dingy rooms, rather than bedrooms.
And in three-quarters, at least one child shares a bedroom with their parent, or parents.
Despite this, the Lib Dems have continued to pursue a policy of selling our homes, your homes to the highest yuppie bidder.
Any surprise then that your families’ chances of being rehoused are actually decreasing by the week.
IWCA Spokesperson, Gary O’Shea, who was himself evicted from one of the properties that was subsequently auctioned by the council said:
“At the end of the day, the Liberals can dress it up however they like, but the fact is that working class people are being ‘socially cleansed’ from Islington.
“How else do they describe a process that sees working class people thrown out of their homes and the property auctioned-off to wealthy middle class settlers?”