Call on government to save council housing

An unprecedented cross-party coalition of over 100 council landlords met recently

They met at Westminster to publish five solutions for the government to secure the future of England’s council housing.

In July, 20 of the largest council landlords published an interim summary of

recommendations which gained significant traction, including an urgent meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, which has led to over 80 more councils backing the recommendations and signing the final report – this includes Wealden District Council.

This more detailed report, led by Southwark Council with contributions from housing

policy experts sets out a full roadmap to renew the country’s council housing over the next decade and critical policy changes for the realisation of the new government’s social housing ambitions.

The report explains how an unsustainable financial model and erratic national policy changes have squeezed council’s housing budgets and sent costs soaring. It also warns that unless more is done, most council landlords will struggle to maintain their existing homes adequately or meet the huge new demands to improve them or build new ones for social rent as development projects across the country are being cancelled and delayed, with huge implications for the local construction sector, jobs and housing market.

The five solutions set out detailed and practical recommendations to the new government:

1. A new fair and sustainable Housing Revenue Account (HRA) model – including an urgent £644 million one-off rescue injection, and long-term, certain rent and debt agreements.

2. Reforms to unsustainable Right to Buy policies

3. Removing red tape on existing funding

4. A new, long-term Green & Decent Homes Programme

5. Urgent action to restart stalled building projects, avoiding the loss of

construction sector capacity and a market downturn.

Councillor Rachel Millward, Alliance for Wealden (Green Party) and lead councillor for Housing & Benefits and leader of the council said, ““Wealden District Council is proud to be a signatory on these recommendations to government. We want to be able to deliver much more council housing to local residents - housing which will remain in council ownership for future generations, not sold off for profit, and which is of the highest possible standards. We call on the new government to listen to the local authorities on the front line and make the necessary changes to enable us to transform many the lives for the better.”

Councillor Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council, said “This unprecedented coalition of councils – representing every corner of England - is united in our determination to ensure our residents have decent and affordable homes. For families across our country their council home is a foundation - giving them the security needed to put down roots and flourish.

“Our new government has committed to delivering the biggest increase to affordable and social housing in a generation. The Deputy Prime Minister’s recent announcements demonstrate that they know the critical role councils will play in reaching this ambition. However, the reality is that our national council housing finances are on the brink.”

To view the full report in more detail, please click here.