An east London council has left homeless families living in hotels for six months because its housing service is “near collapse”, according to a number of staff members who work there.
The Observer understands from multiple employees that Tower Hamlets council employs inadequately trained staff to work in the department, and that these workers have been issued with scripts to use on the phone to try to put homeless people off seeking council help.
In a letter of complaint submitted to the mayor of Tower Hamlets last month and signed by the vast majority of the council’s homelessness team, housing staff warned that the housing service is “near collapse” due to a mixture of unprecedented demand and a “complete disconnect between managers and officers”.
“Homeless guidance and legislation clearly states that hotels and B&Bs should be a last resort, and applicants should not be placed there longer than six weeks,” the letter reads. “We have nothing else to offer clients but hotels and B&Bs, and we are exceeding the six weeks, with many applicants being placed in these unsuitable accommodations for more than six months.”
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FATAI OLAITAN MOSHOOD (DIRECTOR)
The complaint also stated that there are “currently over 1,200 unread emails” in certain team inboxes, many of which are urgent requests for help from residents who are homeless or are at risk of homelessness.
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