An Englishman’s house is his…..?

Sorry for the missing month – but doctoral studies and a building development has sapped an extra time I thought I had!

A report (Home truths for London) is in the news today about the housing crisis – not so much about private costs but about the lack of social housing. Lewisham is 3rd in London with a growing shortage (17,500 households on the waiting list).

"Poor housing has been shown to cause health problems, lower educational attainment and family stress and breakdown.
"We must tackle the housing crisis head on to halt this growing social divide."

Lewisham is where I live – I see the effects of poor housing yet all I tend to see is private developments happening. This is immoral. It is short sighted. It is treating people only as having value to what they can give to the economy – or the developers purse.

This is of course not a new problem. Check these quotes out:

“While we try to amass wealth, make piles of money, get hold of the land as our real property, rise above one another in riches, we have palpably cast off justice and lost the common good. I should like to know how any man can be just, who is deliberately aiming to get out of someone else what he wants for himself.”

St Basil (4th Century)

"How far will your mad lusts take you, ye rich people, till you dwell alone on the earth? Why do you at once turn nature out of doors, and claim the possession of her for your own selves? The land was made for all; why do you rich men claim it as your private property?" "Nature produced common property.
 Robbery made private property."

St Ambrose (4th Century)

When will we learn?

Comments

[Lee Barnes]

Keep on plugging away brother!