A young woman living locally contacted me recently needing help to get re-housed, but the outlook doesn't look good for her right now. She lives in a room in a large house with her toddler, and shares the bathroom, toilet and kitchen with 8 adult strangers, having left a violent relationship with the child's father. Unless her child is fast asleep, she has to take him with her whenever she needs to use the loo, the shower or the kitchen. There is no playspace. She is band C which means effectively there is no chance of a Council or Housing Association home coming available for many years. If her landlord evicted her she could spend some time in BandB which is as bad as her bedsit, then years of temporary housing - ie expensive private rental with no choice about where she lives. At least her current home is near family support.
Three or four years ago she would have had hope of a decent affordable home but the rate at which demand now outstrips supply in west London, this is impossible. And this is despite the high rate of Council and Housing Association homes being built in our borough - we will have achieved our pledge of 2500 new affordable homes by 2014 - but to keep up with demand we should be building meany thousands more.
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