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Dear Editor,
Research by Shelter confirms that Councils in Kent and Medway are uniformly slow in getting social housing for people, despite the availability of over 22,000 empty homes.

The overall picture, determined by the record of how quickly lettings are made, shows the best local authority in Kent.

Tonbridge and Malling still takes 2.66 years to house a household on its waiting list.

The worst, Thanet, is taking 9.38 years. The full picture is as follows:
 

No one should under-estimate the overcrowding, squalor and sheer misery these figures represent for households waiting for decent accommodation. Councils must have the power to buy empty properties to meet local housing needs.

Steve Dawe
Kent Green Party