Housing record is shameful

Social housing, or should I say the lack of social housing, is clearly a low priority for Telford & Wrekin Council and those councillors who attend the relevant scrutiny meetings.

Within the borough there are:

• A total 5287 live applications on the housing register.

• Over 44,000 applications on the housing register by property type.

• An estimated 146 children without a permanent home.

• Almost 16,000 claiming housing benefit.

• A total 129 in temporary accommodation in the last quarter.

• A total 72 accepted as homeless in the last quarter.

And yet only 165 social homes were enabled (projected) in the three-year period from 2004 to 2007.

Affordable homes are just as bad, with no method of monitoring sales to key workers. There are just 130 homes in the borough in shared ownership.

This is poor and the council should be ashamed of this record as they are giving priority to private sales and not the needs of residents.

I would like to hear from anyone on the housing waiting list to work together and lobby councillors and MPs. My number is (01952) 676990.

John Franklyn Telford