Clare Karma, of Copenhagen Street, say she was forced to move into a tent after conditions in her council home became ‘unbearable’

• IT is clear Islington desperately needs new council homes, but it is also crucial we are looking after current social housing tenants and their health and wellbeing. Both can and should be achieved.

After talking to residents, Islington Greens proposed in March extra funding for six new staff members for the repairs team and a further £1million to tackle the backlog of mouldy, damp homes.

At the time Islington Labour insisted there was not a problem and voted down Green Party Cllr Caroline Russell’s proposals.

After your report (Damp forces tenant to live in tent, April 22), about a woman who has been suffering with chronic damp for 10 years, which has severely impacted her physical health, we can see that it is the opposite.

It is not acceptable for another councillor to then lay the blame on the repairs team, who worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and, since the repairs contracts were brought back in-house, have not been supplied with adequate financial support for new staff or resources.

Social housing was built to give people a quality, safe, affordable place to live. If we aren’t reaching the bare minimum of those requirements it’s time for a change.

I urge Islington Labour to acknowledge the good and the bad they do. Sweeping it under the carpet benefits no one, least of all our overworked and undervalued repairs team and our suffering social housing tenants.

DEVON OSBORNE
Green Party Candidate for Tufnell Park ward