Social housing is under threat

At the meeting of the Council on 7 March Richard drew attention to the serious implications of current Government housing policies, particularly as they affect the poor, expanding on the points he made to the meeting of the Council’s Strategy and Resources Committee on 8 February.

He drew attention to:

• the increase in homelessness in the Borough, up 20% in the last year due to in part to changes in the benefit system
• Government policy to reduce housing benefit to social tenants
• the extension of the “right to buy” which will reduce the stock of social housing to rent
• the requirement on Councils to sell “high value” Council homes, which will reduce the stock of social housing to rent
• the fact that the policy on “starter homes” is an absolute con, as it will replace an obligation on those building new housing to provide affordable homes to rent by an obligation to provide a few units, that could cost up to £450 000, for sale at a discount to those wealthy enough to buy their own home. Thus it replaces a requirement that helps poor people living in rented accommodation by one that helps wealth people who can afford to buy a property
• “All of this will affect our social tenants, but also private tenants who are living in squalid and overcrowded accommodation in this Borough, who will not be able to obtain social housing due to the reduction in the stock. The loss of social housing to rent on such a scale is a crisis. The loss of social housing to rent on such a scale is an attack on the poor. The loss of social housing to rent on such a scale is a very serious consequence of the policies of the current Government.”