The housing shortage is central to the cost-of-living crisis, and the Tories are making it worse.
“We will restart the housing market and get Britain building again.”
David Cameron, CBI Annual Conference, 21 November, 2011
“Building more homes [than Labour] is the gold standard upon which we shall be judged.”
Grant Shapps, the then Housing Minister, DCLG Select Committee, 13 September 2010
Millions of working people cannot buy the homes they want or are unable to attain an affordable or social home. As a result, eleven million people now rent privately and are paying ever rising rents but have no stability, experience poor standards and face rip-off letting agent fees.
Yet David Cameron has presided over the lowest level of housebuilding in peacetime Britain since the 1920s.
Last year, the fewest number of homes for social rent were built in at least two decades and the number of affordable homes provided in the last year fell to the lowest in nine years – a fall of 26% from 2009/10.
The first decision of the Government on housing when taking office was to cut the affordable housing budget by 60%.
Cllr Mick Lerry said: “The Government has consistently watered down affordable home requirements (Section 106) against the guidance of the Planning Inspector but with the approval of Eric Pickles”.
“The Tory-led Government is presiding over the death of genuinely affordable social housing. The Government’s “affordable rent” model is anything but affordable to families on low-incomes and is pushing up housing benefit bills over the long-term. A Labour Government would give security and peace for of mind private renters, by legislating for 3-year tenancies giving renters a stable home and landlords the confidence to invest. End excessive rent increases by putting a ceiling on rent increases during the new 3-year tenancies”, says Mick.
Measures to drive competition in the house building industry, increase capacity, and expanding the number of small firms. A Help to Build scheme to underwrite loans to small builders to get them building again and fast-track planning on small sites.
Labour has a comprehensive plan to get at least 200,000 homes built a year by 2020, including badly needed affordable homes.
Cllr Mick Lerry – Leader of the Labour Group on SDC
Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Bridgwater and West Somerset.
Mobile 07775905080
Email michael.lerry@btinternet.com