LibDems attack Government Housing Policy

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 6th May 2004

In his Budget of 17 March, the Chancellor failed to address the scale and urgency of the housing crisis. The Barker Report, published on the same day, called for serious investment in social housing, but the government has provided less than half what is needed.

In April, Shelter published a new report uncovering the human cost of homelessness and its devastating effect on the well-being of the nation. In 2003 there were 215,910 homeless households, an increase of 11.4% on 2002. There were 95,060 households stuck in temporary accommodation, an increase of 13.4% over 2002. The number of individuals affected is far bigger, and overcrowding is a major concern for families.

"We need around 90,000 new houses each year to deal with the problem" said Cllr David Murray, Chairman of the Wrekin & Telford Liberal Democrats. "Yet current government funding is totally inadequate. The government is phasing out the Local Authority Social Housing Grant, and so far there is nothing else in its place. The Barker Report states that the vast majority of new housing should be affordable, as shortage of properties generally is forcing up prices beyond the reach of many low income families, or young people wanting to get on the housing ladder."

Wrekin & Telford LibDems called on the government to increase funding in line with the Barker Report, so that the shortfall in social housing can start to be met as a matter of urgency. They do not agree with the government's suggestion that a future land value tax could pay for social house-building, as an excuse to do nothing now.