It is obvious that, to put it charitably, the Government is greatly underestimating the number of rough sleepers. And a scheme with no new money is no scheme at all.
Yet in central and local government until 1979, the Conservatives used to take housing at least as seriously as anyone else did. But since 1997, even Labour in government has failed miserably on this issue.
We need a minimum of 100,000 new homes every year for at least 10 years, including council homes with an end to the Right to Buy.
We need a minimum of 50 per cent of any new development to be dedicated to affordable housing, with affordability defined as 50 per cent of average rents.
We need rent controls. We need action against the buying up of property by foreign investors in order to leave it empty.
And we need a statutory requirement of planning permission for change of use if it were proposed to turn a primary dwelling into a secondary dwelling, a working family home into a weekend or holiday home.
Therefore, we need our people to hold the balance of power in the next hung Parliament. I need £10,000 in order to stand for Parliament with any chance of winning.
My crowdfunding page has been taken down without my knowledge or consent. But you can still email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com instead, and that address accepts PayPal.
North east house prices have still not recovered from the 2008 recession. How will building more help and who,exactly, will pay (let along build) houses where rents are 50% less than the average.
ReplyDeleteThe State. That's why we have it. To do what the market can't or won't.
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