I'm all for choice, and so is the ODPM

I suppose it was only a matter of time before the pariahs started wailing that choice-based letting is all a con and no substitute for honest paternalism. We've had comments from the Commons select committee about choice reinforcing social segregation and an astonishing piece of one-sided journalism in Housing Today (14 May, page 28).

What a pity you didn't wait to read the ODPM evaluation report that came out this week. It states: "The pilot demonstrates that choice-based letting can be implemented successfully in high- and low-demand areas. In all types of area, it can result in improved relations between landlord and applicants, customer service and satisfaction."

Here in Kennet, Wiltshire, we embarked on a remodelling of our housing register system because we wanted to operate a system that was open to scrutiny by our customers and we wanted our customers to make their own life-changing decisions without us having to guess what was important to them. We wanted to recognise the needs of communities and protect the interests of our most vulnerable customers. We believe we have delivered all of these objectives.

We still get complaints; refusal rates are higher than we would like; and homeless families don't always get the choice that others do. However, the system gets a big thumbs-up from the housing register, even from people not yet housed. They can see what's available; they understand the rules; they can choose to bid or not to bid.

Yes, there are many disappointed people each week but no more than those chasing homes to rent or buy privately. Your article asks: "If a tenant is so desperate to move that they will take a property no one else wants, what sort of choice is that?" It is a choice and it should be theirs – not anyone else's – otherwise someone will get shoehorned in under threat of being taken off the register. Where's the enlightened paternalism in that?