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Morning Briefing: London ‘housing segregation’ under scrutiny
Senior politicians have condemned a developer who prevented children in social housing from using the playground at one of its London schemes
In the news
There was widespread outrage yesterday after The Guardian revealed that Henley Homes has segregated children in the affordable homes on a development in Lambeth from those living in private homes by blocking them from communal play areas.
The paper has since reported that housing secretary James Brokenshire branded the situation “outrageous” and called for the site to be changed.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, London mayor Sadiq Khan and shadow housing secretary John Healey have also been critical.
The Guardian has also run an editorial on the story and a separate opinion piece.
In other news, Place North West reports that the government has withdrawn a £68m outline housing package for Greater Manchester as a result of lower building targets.
Elsewhere, pro-EU paper The New European publishes a letter arguing that Brexit will make it harder for people to access affordable homes.
Manchester Evening News reports that the city council has begun urgent checks on one of its tower blocks after discovering that some of the building’s cladding is different to what it had previously been told by the contractor.
Persimmon has been voted Britain’s worst house builder in a survey of 60,955 people amid criticisms over executive pay and poor workmanship, according to financial website This is Money.
In Bedfordshire, Luton Today claims that Luton and Central Bedfordshire councils are “at war” – with the former claiming the latter refuses to co-operate over the provision of social housing in the area.
Somerset Live reports that Sedgemoor District Council is running a pilot of modular housing at some of its developments.
And in Scotland, The Press and Journal reports that 602 council homes in Aberdeenshire are sitting empty with half of those in the Banff and Buchan areas.
Meanwhile, older persons’ housing provider Bield has been criticised for “massive” rent increases in Fife, according to The Courier.
In Northern Ireland, the BBC reports on the troubling tale of homeless infants in the region.
And finally, The Guardian runs a feature on housing co-operatives, asking whether they can help solve the housing crisis.
On social media
The segregation story is continuing to generate reaction on Twitter:
Please let this be a bad taste joke...surely no Council would do this?Families’ anger after kids are banned from wealthy residents’ posh playground t.co/F9iHt84qCj
— Jacque Allen CIHCM (@jacqueallen2)Please let this be a bad taste joke...surely no Council would do this?Families' anger after kids are banned from wealthy residents' posh playground https://t.co/F9iHt84qCj
— Jacque Allen CIHCM (@jacqueallen2) March 26, 2019
Segregating children should under no circumstances be acceptable, embedding it is destructive & damaging. #InstitutionalIndifference is embodied and entrenched in here now, they’re teaching children that tenure based stigmatisation, division & segregation is a norm & acceptable. t.co/eCRZBZaMg7
— Phil Murphy 💚 (@MancCommunities)>Segregating children should under no circumstances be acceptable, embedding it is destructive & damaging. #InstitutionalIndifference is embodied and entrenched in here now, they're teaching children that tenure based stigmatisation, division & segregation is a norm & acceptable. https://t.co/eCRZBZaMg7
— Phil Murphy \uD83D\uDC9A (@MancCommunities) March 26, 2019
What’s on
- Prime Minister’s Questions will be held at midday in the House of Commons
