This is an article for the Red Brick Blog. Editor Rose Grayston has said that our campaign "is right that we don't yet have the policy to meet Labour's promise on the biggest council house building programme since 1980." The first tranche of funding for the Government's Social & Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) has been … Continue reading Social rent council housing should be the Government’s first housing priority
Category: Council Housing
Labour conference votes for 90,000 social rent council homes a year, ending Right to Buy and cancelling council housing debt
At this year's Labour conference the Labour Campaign for Council Housing's resolution, sent in by at least 10 CLPs, was kept off the agenda by a decision of the Conference Arrangements Committee1. It was judged not to be a 'contemporary motion' because, we were told, the National Policy Forum report had 'substantially' covered the issues … Continue reading Labour conference votes for 90,000 social rent council homes a year, ending Right to Buy and cancelling council housing debt
Here’s why we need to talk about council housing at this Labour Party conference
Last year, the Conference Arrangements Committee ruled out all resolutions calling for urgent action to resolve the housing crisis. The CAC claimed that the resolutions submitted did not “relate to a new issue not substantially covered in the National Policy Forum report.” When it was pointed out to the CAC that there was no substantial … Continue reading Here’s why we need to talk about council housing at this Labour Party conference
Rent Controls & Council Housing Now – protest in Parliament Square
Statement: Time to end the housing crisis Millions of us need to see the new Government's statements on council homes and support for renters turned into action. Our communities are experiencing severe disrepair, at the mercy of rogue landlords, others sent by councils across the country or with high rents leading to destitution. We need … Continue reading Rent Controls & Council Housing Now – protest in Parliament Square
Cancelling council housing debt
Shelter is calling on the government to cancel the Housing Revenue Account debt1. It asked Savills to do a report on the options for reducing debt. Martin Wicks gives an assessment of the report. Shelter is asking people here to email their councillors, calling on them to sign an Open Letter to the Chancellor calling … Continue reading Cancelling council housing debt
Estate regeneration and social housing provision – the real record
With thanks to Paul Watt, we reproduce here his submission to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Council and Social Housing inquiry on the barriers to building and acquiring social rent council housing. Paul is Emeritus Professor in Urban Studies at Birkbeck, University of London, and Visiting Professor in the Department of Sociology, London School … Continue reading Estate regeneration and social housing provision – the real record
Dear Angela
A letter to Angela Rayner highlighting the changes needed to the government's housing policy if the housing crisis is to be resolved. Dear Angela Congratulations on your appointment as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government. In a recent video you circulated, you said that the Prime Minister has given you three priorities, … Continue reading Dear Angela
Public funding is the means to build/acquire social rent council homes
Andy Burnham's speech in the Manchester People's History Museum, in which he said that a government led by him would carry out “the biggest council house building programme since the post-war period”, has raised hopes that if he becomes Prime Minister there would be a change of direction in the government's housing policy, with council … Continue reading Public funding is the means to build/acquire social rent council homes
Submission to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Council and Social Housing inquiry on the barriers to building and acquiring social rent council homes
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Council and Social Housing has launched an inquiry into obstacle to building and acquiring social rent council housing. This is our submission. The deadline has been extended to July 24th. Submissions should be sent to appgcash@shelter.org.uk . Summary Council housing is not a priority for the government. There is … Continue reading Submission to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Council and Social Housing inquiry on the barriers to building and acquiring social rent council homes
“Unsustainable (council housing) debt” – cut it or cancel it?
Shelter is calling for the government to “remove the historic debt local authorities owe to the government” for council housing. They say that £29 billion in “historic housing debt”1 is based on an outdated financial settlement from 2012; that it “sucks away money that could be invested in building new social homes”. Shelter calls for … Continue reading “Unsustainable (council housing) debt” – cut it or cancel it?
