A Durham MP has written to the Home Secretary about vulnerable people being moved to County Durham with "a key and an address" without notifying local authorities.

The Northern Echo exclusively revealed that in the last year, two households a month were being shipped up to County Durham by London Borough Councils.

In Mary Kelly Foy's letter to Yvette Cooper, she highlighted the housing crisis in the North East.

She describes how in a recent visit to the Family Hub in Willington there was an increasing number of families in desperate need after being moved by different local authorities.

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Read the full letter below:

Dear Home Secretary,

I am writing to you to you regarding the issue of the already prevalent housing crisis in the North East, and more importantly, the impact that the relocation of vulnerable people being moved from London to certain areas of the North East has on Durham County Council and local communities. This matter was recently reported in the Northern Echo.

Currently, the North East is itself is struggling severely in the grip of a housing crisis, with 75,000 families stuck for months waiting for social housing, with more than 300 children currently homeless,  and the cost of living crisis making it near impossible for young families to buy a first home. Despite this, some of the most vulnerable people, including those struggling with substance abuse and severe mental health issues are being relocated by some London Borough Councils into houses in our region owned by private landlords, without any information being shared with the receiving authority. This seems to be happening as frequently as two households per month.

The issue with this is of course that many of these households are incredibly vulnerable and are moved here with no local links and no support networks. Graham Easterlow, CEO of the East Durham Trust recently described this practise as ‘contemptible’, due to the issue of moving people into an ‘already embattled community’ which is facing issues of ‘high levels of deprivation and generational poverty’ already. He highlights that as a local charity, they are not informed of these individuals, which unarguably places huge pressures on a council which is already stretched, and voluntary sector resources, all whilst leaving those relocated very susceptible to falling through the cracks.

Indeed, within my own constituency, I recently visited the Family Hub in Willington, who outlined to me the increasing numbers of families that are presenting to them in desperate need, having been relocated by a different local authority. In some cases, this has involved being put on a train having been provided only with a key and an address. Again, this is placing immense pressure on the Family Hub as they have no prior notification of the level of demand on their resources.

I would therefore be extremely grateful if you could look into this practice by London Borough Councils, and take steps to ensure that they are not simply offloading their responsibilities to these vulnerable people to other areas of the country, with no prior agreement in place. While I appreciate that it may well be a cheaper option for London councils to seek housing elsewhere, it is vital that this is done in conjunction with the local authorities and communities into which they are seeking to locate these households. It is of utmost importance that people are relocated with the appropriate support systems and familial ties to allow them to thrive within the local community.

Yours Sincerely

Mary Kelly Foy

MP for the City of Durham