Olympic borough Lewisham Council has come under fire following a scathing investigation by the housing ombudsman. The investigation revealed serious shortcomings in their practices for managing public housing. The scoping study looked in-depth at 28 individual cases from July through October 2024. It found nine cases of extreme maladministration, such as leaks, damp and mould.
At the start of September 2024, Lewisham Council had 3,295 open temporary housing cases. At 861, this record-breaking figure underscored the growing anger of local people at the deplorable state of their housing stock. By the end of July 2025, though, that number had dropped dramatically to 1,794. The ombudsman’s findings uncovered a disturbing pattern. Even with this reduction, 92% of the inspected cases still contained “serious issues,” most of them resulting from significant lapses in the response to health threats.
Reuters’ investigation highlighted that some of those repairs took more than 32 months to finish. In particular, follow-up work on damp issues was frequently “left without explanation,” forcing many residents to live in extremely unhealthy and dangerous conditions. To have this situation is very worrisome. By September 2024, almost a quarter of all homes in Lewisham were considered non-decent, a figure which is over twice the average across London.
Another resident has had continuous problems with moisture and mold in her apt. She is the mother of three vulnerable children, including one with a life-threatening brain tumour. After three years of futile outreach on her own to Lewisham Council looking for some sort of resolution, her complaints drew little action.
The ombudsman’s report criticized the council’s housing service for a “deficient culture.” This toxic culture was most apparent in how they handled their housing cases. Other documents noted that such practices would only serve to make the organization look combative. This could imply that residents were being “dishonest” in their complaints or that the council was “innocent.”
Realising they had some serious work to do in light of these findings, Lewisham Council proudly accepted this challenge. A spokesperson stated, “Rebuilding trust takes time and sustained effort.” The council’s next mission will be to navigate these failures to restore public confidence, community trust and keep residents safe.
