The housing content of the National Policy Forum document is supposed to “shape the Labour Party's policy agenda”. The draft document it has produced, will be discussed by NPF members and, amended by them, will go to a “Clause 5” meeting on which the NEC, CLPs and affiliates sit, together with the Shadow Cabinet. That … Continue reading Questions on Labour’s housing policy
Author: lcfch
The contradictions of Labour’s housing policy
There are no market solutions to the housing crisis At last year's conference Keir Starmer said that Labour is “the Party of Home Ownership”. It would support first time buyers with “a mortgage guarantee scheme”. At the same conference Lisa Nandy said Labour's mantra was “council housing, council housing, council housing” and it would commit … Continue reading The contradictions of Labour’s housing policy
Thatcher – the Right to Buy
Richard Harries was working at an advice point when he came across this story which he recounts in his poem below. Two brothers living together in council housing, next door to each other have different fates as a result of the one deciding to buy and the other not. Richard had been to University in … Continue reading Thatcher – the Right to Buy
Keeping 100% Right to Buy receipts is no substitute for abolishing it
The government has announced that councils can keep Right to Buy receipts from 2022/3 and 2023/4 and have five years to use them. They have also announced that the restrictions on acquisitions (buying homes on the market to add to the council housing stock) will be frozen at 50%. In other words councils can make … Continue reading Keeping 100% Right to Buy receipts is no substitute for abolishing it
Right to Buy divides people
Hackney councillor Clare Joseph writes on the practical consequences of Right to Buy and why the policy should be ended. When the LCCH asked me to write something on the Right to Buy, I wondered what I could say that hadn’t already been said. Right to Buy means we lose irreplaceable Council stock, an average … Continue reading Right to Buy divides people
Rochdale Borough Housing – “institutional racism, disdain for tenants, and a reprehensible absence of human compassion and empathy”
Greater Manchester Tenants Union statement on the Housing Ombudsman special report into Rochdale Boroughwide Housing The Housing Ombudsman special report on Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) has exposed the organisation’s institutional racism, disdain for tenants, and a reprehensible absence of human compassion and empathy: ‘it paints a disturbing picture of residents being judged entirely by staff … Continue reading Rochdale Borough Housing – “institutional racism, disdain for tenants, and a reprehensible absence of human compassion and empathy”
Labour Housing Group opposes campaign to end Right to Buy
At its AGM recently the Labour Housing Group voted to oppose campaigning to commit Labour to end Right to Buy when in government. Myself and Ben Clay moved a motion which would have committed the LHG to sign our statement calling on Labour to commit to ending it and to encourage LHG members to support … Continue reading Labour Housing Group opposes campaign to end Right to Buy
“constant struggle to finance sufficient numbers of new properties to outpace those lost to right to buy”
Peter Lamb, Crawley councillor writes on the difficulties of build sufficient new council homes. We live in very challenging times, an era when many long-running issues are coming to a head and at times it can seem difficult to know exactly what an incoming Labour Government should prioritise. For those of us on district-tier authorities, … Continue reading “constant struggle to finance sufficient numbers of new properties to outpace those lost to right to buy”
Islington Council Labour Group supports campaign to end Right to Buy
Islington Council Labour Group has agreed to support our statement calling on Labour to commit to ending Right to Buy. “Providing more genuinely affordable and social homes has always been our priority for our Labour-run Council. As we have 14,000 people on our housing waiting list, local people need us to provide as many council … Continue reading Islington Council Labour Group supports campaign to end Right to Buy
Social tenants will be left out in the cold when Scotland’s rent freeze ends
Writing in Inside Housing, Caroline Crawley, National Committee member of Living Rent (a renters union in Scotland) says that the ending of the Rent Freeze at the end of March “spells disaster for Living Rent’s members and all social housing tenants”. “Our members believe that the government’s decision displays a disregard for social housing tenants … Continue reading Social tenants will be left out in the cold when Scotland’s rent freeze ends
Labour Campaign for Council Housing 