Haringey council has been called on to help homeless families at risk of being “crushed” by the power of private developers.

The Reverend Paul Nicolson, of campaign group Taxpayers Against Poverty, has urged the council to provide housing for the 4,000 of the borough’s homeless families currently housed in temporary accommodation.

In a letter to council leader Cllr Joseph Ejiofor and members of the cabinet, he said the council had made “no attempt…to meet the demand for truly affordable homes”.

He said: “I suggest the housing priority for UK national and local government must be to move the homeless families now placed in insecure temporary accommodation by councils into permanent truly affordable housing in their communities before any national or international private developer makes one more immoral £1,000,000 out of English land.”

“The council makes deals for wealthy developers to profit from the inflated market prices of homes built for the private sector on council land.”

Rev Nicolson drew attention to the plight of 300 families on Tottenham’s Love Lane estate who he claimed are being “crushed” by the power of developers and Haringey Council.

The Love Lane estate has been earmarked for demolition as part of large-scale regeneration plans for the area.

The demolition plans, which form part of the High Road West Masterplan, were agreed in 2014 following consultation with residents.

Haringey Council pledged to re-house council tenants who will be forced out of their homes in modern housing at social rents within the redevelopment area.

The council has already scrapped a £2 billion deal with Lendlease that would have led to the demolition of several Tottenham estates – but the High Road West plans are part of a separate scheme.

It has also set up a wholly council-owned company that will enable it to provide affordable homes on council land.

Cllr Emina Ibrahim, Haringey’s cabinet member for housing and estate renewal, said: “No household should have to face homelessness, it is part of a London-wide housing crisis that we all must work together to address.

“This cabinet has been clear that providing good quality housing is one of our key priorities.

“That is why we are setting up our own housing company and why we have pledged to deliver 1,000 new council homes by 2022.

“We have said we want to deliver council-owned homes on our own land and have every intention of doing this.”