Appalling plight of family-of-four

Few people who read today’s interview with mother-of-three Lesleigh Gregory could fail to be appalled by her plight. Her Sturry home destroyed by fire, her beloved dog Sandy dead and a family-of-four abandoned by the housing authority to a single under-equipped room in a mouldy block of Herne Bay flats which reeks of drugs. This is as unsuitable as possible for the Gregorys. The council insists the family’s situation is a “priority”. One can only wonder what its definition of a priority is given that the fire happened on December 7.

Indeed, Lesleigh waited months before speaking out in the hope that she and her children would be found a new home. Her hope was misplaced. That said, the district’s housing shortage is not an easily solveable problem. Thousands languish on the housing waiting list. They have differing and often complex needs.

Meanwhile, the bureaucracy struggles to meet the demands placed upon it. Within the city of Canterbury, there emerged a glimmer of hope with the release of former military homes at the decommissioned Howe Barracks last year.

Alas, the city council found itself outmuscled in a bidding war with the London Borough of Redbridge, which took advantage to move its temporary tenants permanent accommodation in Canterbury.

Added to this is the fact that the city’s private rental market is dominated by student lettings. The housing authority does not have the financial strength to solve its problems by placing families with private landlords who charge extortionate rents.

It is clear, however, that Lesleigh Gregory’s situation is unique. The time has passed for words of reassurance – the time came has come for doing something about it.