I
make no apology for returning to this Government’s appalling housing record.
Its housing policies fly in the face of logic and sensibility. Conservative and
Liberal Democrat Ministers are in complete denial about the impact on
individuals, families and communities.
Like
all MPs, I meet the victims day-in, day-out. It is not possible to go to a
residents’ meeting or a local bring-and-buy or fayre or even to go shopping
without someone wanting to talk about housing problems.
New
house building has fallen to its lowest levels in peacetime since the 1920s.
The
very first new coalition government housing decision in 2010 was to cut the
affordable housing budget by 60%. Unsurprisingly, the number of affordable
homes built in the last year was just two-thirds the number built in 2009/10.
The
number of homes built for social rent has fallen by 75% since 2009/10 to 7,759
the lowest in twenty years and since records began.
Last
week, the House of Commons Library revealed that since 2010, a housing gap (the
gap between housing supply and demand) of more than 500,000 homes – nearly
46,000 in Yorkshire and Humberside - has arisen due to the Government’s failure
to build the homes the country needs.
After
a decade of falling numbers, homelessness has risen by a third since 2010 and
rough sleeping is up by nearly a third. The number of families with children
living in bed and breakfasts is at a 10 year high and the number in B&Bs
illegally (more than six weeks) has risen by 800%. .
Meanwhile
the government is fuelling house price inflation and the Bank of England is
being forced to intervene to cap mortgage lending policies. Owner occupation is
becoming simply unaffordable for many low to middle income families.
This
week, a leaked government document revealed that the number of new homes to be
built this year will be even lower than last. Ministers are now panicking
because the actual figures will be published before the next general election.
Are
they now acting urgently because they are concerned about the thousands of
families who are in B&B, or living with relatives or friends, or in
over-crowded bed-sitters? No. I don’t think so. They’re only concerned about
avoiding a bad news story next year.
For
thousands of families, the housing prospects are bleak.
