25 signatures reached
To: John Cryer (MP for Leyton and Wanstead) and Waltham Forest Council
Open up empty buildings in Leytonstone
Follow the lead of Manchester and open up empty buildings for homeless people this winter.
Why is this important?
To plead to the Council to open its empty buildings to the homeless in winter. I cannot imagine sleeping rough in driving, biting winds, snow, ice and winter rain. It's inhumane. It's also inexcusable when we have so many empty buildings.
According to the charity Crisis 7,581 people slept rough at some point in London during 2014/15, a 16 per cent rise on the previous year, and more than double the figure of 3,673 in 2009/10. http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/Homelessness%20briefing%202015%20EXTERNAL.pdf
Data available at http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/empty-homes shows that, as of 2012, the council owned at least 167 properties out of a total of 2885 empty properties in Waltham Forest.
I urge you to follow Manchester's lead and make sure homeless people don't sleep on the streets this winter.
Thank you!
