We need a national voice for tenants in social housing. Catch-up work and stop-start remedial action at tower blocks across the country after the fire at Grenfell Tower (Work starts on tower blocks found to be at risk of collapse, 12 August) is further evidence that if you live in a tower block, your home is visible but you are not.
Tenant organisations and housing co-ops are calling for a coherent, legitimate and empowered voice for tenants and leaseholders on estates. The case for this was accepted many years ago, but axed under the coalition government from 2010.
As the late Colin Ward wrote some years back: “Ours is a society in which, in every field, one group of people makes decisions; exercises control; limits choices; while the great majority have to accept those decisions, submit to this control, and act within the limits of those externally imposed choices. It happens in work, politics and education and nowhere is it more evident than in the field of housing.” We need to listen to the voice of tenants in social housing.
Ed Mayo
Secretary general, Co-operatives UK
• I’d like to correct Diane Abbott (Grenfell fire victims are still being betrayed, 14 August). She states that 175 housing offers have been made, 14 households have been permanently rehoused and 48 households have new temporary accommodation, as of this week. This is incorrect. The numbers are 178 first offers, 55 accepted, and 23 rehoused. We’ve also completed 217 viewings with more happening this week.
The council is supporting severely traumatised people and does not want to rush anyone to make a decision. Some people are simply not ready to make big decisions about the future housing needs of their family. No one is being forced to move into any property, and multiple offers are being made until households are completely happy to move.
It may take time for offers to be accepted, because of the highly emotional state of those we need to house and the complexity of their needs. It is a painstaking process that requires understanding of families traumatised by the fire. It involves not only finding the right property for a family, but also making sure emotional and psychological support, schooling, education and health support are provided.
If Diane would like to discuss this matter with me or with the council, she would find our doors are very much open.
Tony Devenish
Conservative, London assembly
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