House rationing
Sir: Harry Phibbs' article 'Cardboard Vil- lage' (10 March), was both welcome and salutory, marred unfortunately by one major inaccuracy. He states: 'Anyone who is homeless can appear on the doorstep of his local town hall whose housing depart- ment is obliged to find accommodation for him (or her).'
Not so Mr Phibbs! Provided the suppli- cant is aged under sixty, is not physically or mentally disabled, has no dependent chil- dren, is not a 'battered wife' or pregnant, the local authority has no legal obligation to offer accommodation. My own recent experience as a homeless person in Cam- den applying to Camden housing depart- ment was to have the above explained to me, followed by the offer of a handful of pamphlets the most recent of which turned out to be three years out of date.
Incidentally Harry might be interested to learn that the gist of his piece appeared (complete with howler) in the following day's Sun leader section under the sub- heading 'Professional Weepers.'
Thomas Quinn
33 Adamson Road, London NW3
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