I spoke on the fourth day of this year’s Queen’s Speech debate on the Government’s new plans for housing. A safe and secure home is one of the most basic human needs but under the Conservatives, it is one that is being denied to far too many people.

There are 12,000 people in Lambeth alone living in unsafe and unsellable homes thanks to the Government’s inaction on the cladding scandal. I called on the Government to set a binding target to remove flammable cladding from homes by June 2022, the fifth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. I also reiterated the call to protect leaseholders from the astronomical costs associated with making buildings safe. Sadly, they rejected these amendments. They have promised to protect leaseholders from the costs of remediation work no less than 17 times but they’ve now voted against this 6 times. They really don’t seem to have a plan to fix this.

Research released this week by End Child Poverty revealed that 8,150 children in Streatham are growing up trapped in poverty. That’s more than one in three. In London, sky rocketing housing costs are one of the main things that push people into poverty. I am concerned by the Government’s ill-conceived planning and leasehold reforms, which put the needs of developers ahead of the needs of local communities and will only make housing even less affordable.

If you or someone you know is affected by the cladding crisis or any other housing issues, you can reach out to me at bell.ribeiroaddy.mp@parliament.uk