Rather than proposing to increase the financial pressure on tenants with above inflation rent increases, councils should be seeking the support of tenants in a campaign for the government to fund HRAs sufficiently to maintain and improve existing homes. Support for the government's proposal for 5 years of above inflation rent increases for council and … Continue reading Above inflation rent increase won’t resolve the council housing financial crisis
Category: Council Housing
“There can be no renaissance of council housing if existing homes are allowed to deteriorate”
There is a question mark hanging over the future of council housing. 109 Councils signed the document “Securing the Future of Council Housing”, which warned that “Unless something is done soon, most council landlords will struggle to maintain their existing homes adequately or meet huge new demands to improve them, let alone build new homes … Continue reading “There can be no renaissance of council housing if existing homes are allowed to deteriorate”
Background to the Labour Campaign for Council Housing
These are the notes of a speech by Carol Hayton, founding member of the Labour Campaign for Council Housing, given to Witney CLP. Formed in 2019 by a group of Labour members who were concerned about the housing crisis and the lack of political will, on the part of successive governments, to take any meaningful … Continue reading Background to the Labour Campaign for Council Housing
Local democracy and council housing
A series of government measures threaten to undermine local democracy and give developers and the big builders a free pass to step up their profiteering. The government's Devolution White Paper proposes imposing change on councils based on an arbitrary figure of 500,000 population. It is proposing to impose tenure blind housing targets on councils which … Continue reading Local democracy and council housing
Do we really want more “poor quality/slum housing”?
The government should end conversions without planning permission Early in 2024 Labour opposed the extension of Permitted Development Rights on the basis that it would “add to the quantum of poor-quality/slum housing that post-2013 PDR expansion has created”. Yet the new government has refused to bin this planning deregulation. It says it will “keep it … Continue reading Do we really want more “poor quality/slum housing”?
Where’s the council housing revolution?
We have had the relaunch, but where is Angela Rayner’s Council Housing revolution? On more than one occasion since being appointed Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner has said that the government overhaul of the planning system will result in a council house revolution, delivering “the biggest boost to social … Continue reading Where’s the council housing revolution?
Central government housing targets “unrealistic” and “divorced from need”
In very candid comments, Yvonne Gagen, Leader of West Lancashire Council told the BBC that “I feel that we are going to be on a collision course with Labour”. She will not have uttered these words lightly. She was clearly exasperated by an increased target for her authority of 605 homes a year as compared … Continue reading Central government housing targets “unrealistic” and “divorced from need”
Government rent consultation: NO to above inflation rent increases
The government is consulting on a rent policy of 5 years or more of above inflation rent increases of a maximum of CPI+1%, for council and housing association tenants. We explain below why we are opposed to this proposal. The premise of the consultation document seems to be that above inflation rent increases for five … Continue reading Government rent consultation: NO to above inflation rent increases
Differences in the government over housing policy?
“A senior Whitehall official said (to the Financial Times) there was growing pressure inside the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for ministers to accept that hitting the 1.5 million home target was unattainable in this parliament.” S/he added “Everyone can see that any serious line-by-line analysis of how you could reach that target … Continue reading Differences in the government over housing policy?
Council Housing remains the key to resolving the housing crisis
Labour Campaign for Council Housing AGM News of the government's Housing Strategy and funding for its Affordable Homes Programme is expected at the Spring Spending Review. How can pressure be built for social rent council housing to be the first housing priority? Annual General Meeting, by Zoom, December 1st, 2 p.m. Guest speaker Bell Ribeiro-Addy … Continue reading Council Housing remains the key to resolving the housing crisis
Labour Campaign for Council Housing 