Labour councillors, Marc Francis and Sirajul Islam presented the call-in to the overview and scrutiny committee on Monday evening (September 2) Credit: Tower Hamlets
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Concerns after 90-minute journey time policy scrapped for relocated homeless families in Tower Hamlets

Several concerns have been raised over a policy which will give Tower Hamlets Council the power to place homeless families in temporary accommodation far from their roots.

In July 2024, Aspire Mayor Lutfur Rahman and his cabinet approved a revised version of the Homelessness Accommodation Placement Policy which will remove the 90-minute journey time limit when determining temporary accommodation for homeless families.

Under the revised policy, the council will use ‘zones’ to allocate temporary and privately rented sector accommodation for families, which range from Zone A to Zone D.

A cabinet report at the time said the new zones would allow the council to have ‘greater control’ and transparency when finding accommodation for families.

Zone A will be within the London borough of Tower Hamlets, Zone B will be within Greater London, while Zone C will see families placed in the Home Counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire.

Zone D will place homeless families in accommodation beyond the Home Counties and over a 90-minute journey time.

Families will be allocated accommodation in a zone depending on the age of their children.

Those with children in their final year of GCSEs or A-Levels will be placed in temporary accommodation within the borough while families with children in other year groups could be placed anywhere in London.

Families with very young children who aren’t yet in school could be placed anywhere in the Home Counties.

The move was called in by several opposition councillors from the Labour Party, who argued the revised policy ignores the impact staying far away can have on vulnerable families, especially single parents and those with mental health problems.

During a meeting with the overview and scrutiny committee on Monday evening (September 2nd), members heard from Marc Francis, one of the councillors behind the call-in.

Cllr Francis said: ‘The reason for our call-in is that this is a terrible policy being implemented prematurely and without taking any meaningful account of what homeless families who are affected by it feel about the policy.

‘The first that most homeless families seemed to hear about this change is when they received a letter from the council warning them that they are now at risk of being moved into temporary accommodation even further from Tower Hamlets.’

Cllr Francis said Labour councillors have had many families come to them ‘in fear of what this might mean’.

He added: ‘The measure to send vulnerable homeless families even further away from Tower Hamlets is premature, unnecessary and doesn’t take proper account of the impact on those families.

‘[The mayor] should reverse his decision, instead, he should instruct officers to focus on some of the additional staff and the procurement and management of temporary accommodation in East, North East and South East London and bring external experts in to secure these homes.’

The committee then heard from Kabir Ahmed, the cabinet member for regeneration, inclusive development and housebuilding.

Cllr Ahmed said: ‘The homelessness code of conduct guidance guides boroughs to place a household in the borough or as close as possible to the borough, this remains the case but it’s not always possible due to affordability and availability.

‘This does not mean every single resident that comes through these doors as homeless will be placed outside of London, it means we will start in Tower Hamlets and then we will move outwards from Tower Hamlets.

‘We will try to house as many people as possible within Tower Hamlets’ neighbouring boroughs as we are doing right now however we also need to keep the option open for good quality homes.’

He added: ‘There are a lot of people who would choose a better quality home outside in a suburban area as opposed to within Tower Hamlets and if they want it voluntarily we should give them that opportunity.’

Labour councillor, Amy Lee who is on the committee, asked: ‘In terms of Zone D, just how far are we looking? Just how far are we going? What challenges does that present to you and officers in your team?

‘I don’t know how you will do this, but are there going to be physical site visits across the country to make sure these places are up to standard and quality?’

Cllr Ahmed later said in the meeting: ‘We’re not suggesting people will be left in a secluded hut or a tent in the middle of the countryside, no one is suggesting that.

‘Where people will be placed will be much like where they are placed now, but we are looking a little bit afar where needed. That’s the key message.’

Labour councillor, James King also pressed Cllr Ahmed on the maximum distance the council would use to send families to.

He said: ‘What is the limit that the council should be sending people away from their social networks in terms of miles?’ However, Cllr Ahmed said he could not say ‘definitively’ how far the council planned to go but said the council remained focused on finding accommodation in Tower Hamlets and the surrounding boroughs.

Labour councillor, Asma Islam said: ‘As a councillor for the last six years, I have seen first-hand the experience of residents with the 90-minute policy in place.

‘There’s not a single atom in my body to allow for that cap to be taken out and now it’s anywhere in the country, that’s just not going to happen.’

After an intense debate which lasted over an hour, it was time for the committee to vote on whether the previous decision should go back to cabinet for reconsideration or whether it would stay as it is.

Six Aspire councillors on the committee were in support of the revised policy, while three Labour and one Green councillor voted for the decision to go back to cabinet for reconsideration.

As Labour and Green councillors were outnumbered by Aspire councillors in the vote, the decision to move families over 90 minutes away as part of the revised Homelessness Accommodation Placement Policy is to stay as it is.


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