Clegg's response to my letter

I never told you, probably because the boredom drove me to...oh, nowhere special,no sunny, blue seas under a blue sky....

I got a reply to the letter I sent Clegg in May. OK, I got the answer back in July but like I said, it bored me into a pit of my own filth making.

What is funny I guess, and why I recall it now, is that the letter was from the Department for Communities and Local Government telling me it was sorry to hear about my housing difficulties but the matter was one for the local council.

Oh how Clegg had laughed when I told him I'd written to Brown. "Got an answer did you?!"
"Yes, yes," I'd stammered. "Yes I did actually and he told me it was up to the local authority to help me and the local authority is YOU."

Mind you, perhaps he remembers. This letter says "neither Ministers nor their officials are able to intervene in individual cases." I know, I allude to my failure in my letter do I not? Would I have failed if they had intervened? OH and hang on, why did Clegg ask for my details and get his Pal to meet me if they never had any intention to help me? Oh that's right, it was just before the election and they were scared I'd go to a Red Top.

"As you are aware," the letter says, which I am because my letter wasn't about my problem, "the Government is carrying out wide-ranging reforms to the social housing system. These are being taken forward through the Localism Bill which is currently before Parliament.."

It still is, it still is but not for long...

"Local Decisions: A Fairer Future for Social Housing.. can be viewed at
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/socialhousingreform.

"It includes measures to improve mobility (Home swap to find jobs Shapps says) and under-occupation (only for council tenants though as the news about elderly homeowners underoccupying hit the headlines yesterday and the Tories saying that was 'bullying'). It also covers the introduction of a new 'affordable rent' tenancy (yes, keep that in inverted commas) and changes to the system of council housing finance (the government will ensure councils raise rents)

"I hope.,..that your housing situation will be resolved before too long"

When is "too long"?

Still an answer is better than no answer. Cameron's office said my letter to him had been passed on the Department of Communities too, but this here Clegg's response didn't mention that so I'll take it the letter to Dave was discarded in a public dustbin. Shall I?

Here's a good piece of writing on the housing crisis from Polly Toynbee. Some of the comments are interesting too. I'll be with like minded people this afternoon, so hopefully can pick myself up a bit and not feel so defeated, stuck in a pit of my own filth making. Chin up...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/14/cathy-come-home-lesson-rents-mortgages?CMP=twt_gu