Letter to the Evening Standard

Dear Sir,
I’m afraid Wendy Taylor is rather selective with her figures on housing record in Hammersmith and Fulham during the eight years the
Conservatives were running the borough – from 2006 until last month.

She is right that there are 1190 households are currently accommodated in temporary accommodation and right to say that it is too high. But
it is lower than the number inherited from Labour in 2006 – which was 1,687.

In 2006 under Labour there were 854 homes in the borough that had been empty for over six months. The number is now down to 268. Again still too many.

It is true that the waiting list came down under the Conservatives due to only allowing those with a five-year local connection to Hammersmith & Fulham to be able to apply for a council house. That is fairer to all concerned. What is the point of giving false hopes to
people by including them on a waiting list when they will never have a chance of reaching the front of the queue?

Some very high value street properties have been auctioned off – with proceeds helping to fund more new homes. Social housing does not just
include homes for rent but also shared ownership properties. Under the Conservatives the council  helped 1,000 families into low cost homes through discounted market sale and shared ownership schemes.

The Earls Court regeneration means an increase not a reduction in social housing.

Already the new Labour Council have declare war on aspiration by cutting plans for 40 new shared ownership homes in south Fulham – to nil.

Yours sincerely,
Harry Phibbs,
Conservative councillor for Ravenscourt Park Ward,
Hammersmith Town Hall