Further to Peter Thornton’s Podium (Gazette, August 13, ‘It’s time that we stood up for our public housing’), there is a desperate need for public/social housing.

I find it hard to understand what David Cameron is thinking by giving occupants of Housing Association homes the right to buy. I realise he thinks he is giving them a chance to buy their own home, but surely he must realise he is condemning more people to becoming homeless.

Surely the Prime Minister must know that there will always be a hard core of people who will never be in a position to buy their own house, and with no control on rents in the private sector that number will increase.

In some cases many will not be able to pay the rents in the private sector.

Do we want to be a nation of seeing an increasing number of people sleeping on the streets? Perish the thought.

It is essential that we have a hard core of public housing.

Norman Tweats

Kendal