Hard times

Having been shell-shocked by the Panorama documentary about temporary housing in Harlow it was therefore far from comforting to read in The News that temporary accommodation for people at risk of homelessness, including families, could get £1.5m improvements.

More worrying was Councillor Darren Saunders, cabinet member for housing, stating: ‘Options include refurbishing council-owned buildings to provide 35 units of accommodation for single people and couples.’

The buildings used by developers in Harlow are former office blocks, industrial units and factories and they are far removed from improving the quality of life other than a roof.

A single room with a bed, kitchenette, shower and a chair is obviously better than cold air, concrete and a bench but the ‘grouping of people’ and the design of quality of use, not profit, is very wide of the mark.

Harlow has created its very own ghettos and these buildings house released prisoners, homeless, drug addicts and then families, yes children, who have fallen on hard times or circumstance, all under one great tin roof.

There is full-time security and danger in every corridor, night and day, and the police are constantly on call. Whilst temporary accommodation should be exactly what it states it should not reflect a temporary prison sentence either. In the creation or additional funding process and the full council budget meeting on February 11, perhaps Darren Saunders and his merry men from housing could consider the design and grouping of those offered accommodation in each building as more of a priority than reducing the number tick box? If this is improvement for quality of life then Panorama did a fantastic job in making me believe otherwise.

Dean Kimber

North Shore Hayling Island