FUNDING BLOW HITS SOCIAL HOUSING

Why they struggle  to help the homeless

Michael Gove, pictured, wants to build more social rented housing.In fact, he thinks it is “unconscionable, indefensible” that people in work are relying on low-quality temporary housing and wants 30,000 social rented homes a year to start turning the tide. 

These were the comments the housing secretary made in a recent interview with ITV News  saya an article in in the social housing magazine Inside Housing

 

 The article goes on “Well-informed readers need no reminding of these numbers. But just for the record, when the Conservatives came to power as lead partners in the coalition government in 2010, there were 39,562 social rented homes being built every year and 49,680 households in temporary accommodation. 

“Last year, we built 7,644 social rented homes and now have 101,300 households in temporary accommodation. 

“The reduction in social rented homes is solely and completely to do with the government’s decision to stop funding them in 2010. While Mr Gove’s colleagues will doubtless brand this among the “difficult choices” they had to make at the start of their reign, it has also undoubtedly been a political one.

“In the interview, Mr Gove took credit for a renegotiation of Affordable Housing Programme funding which will see it deliver 30,000 social rented homes over the five years to 2026. 

“But this remains a historically low figure – owed as much to Theresa May as it is to Mr Gove. It is around half the number of homeownership products the programme will produce and comes at about one-twelfth of what most experts think the requirement is in England to meet demand.

“As “indefensible as it might be for families to live in temporary accommodation, the cabinet in which Mr Gove serves evidently does not agree. Otherwise it may feel inclined to raise Local Housing Allowance rates, which  have slipped to the lowest 18 per cent of the local rental market and make it nigh on impossible for local authorities in high demand areas to find permanent housing for their homeless families.”

   Community Voice Carlisle is the blog of Carlisle Tenants` and Residents`Federation. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 522277