by Keith Richmond
THE Government has been urged to help build Britain out of recession with a major new programme of council house construction.
Delegations from across the country went to Parliament on Wednesday to give evidence to the Council Housing group
of MPs. Council tenants, council officers, councillors, trade union activists and academics all responded to an invitation from the House of Commons Council Housing Group to make the case for proper investment in council housing.
Austin Mitchell, Labour MP for Great Grimsby and chair of the group, said: “Now is the time for government to invest in first-class council housing. Britain needs a big house building programme to meet housing need, safeguard jobs and give an urgent boost to the economy.
“Enabling councils to modernise their existing homes and estates and start building a third generation of first class council homes makes political and economic sense.”
Support for the idea came from the newly formed 2020 group – which comprises Shelter, the National Housing Federation, the Local Government Association and the TUC – which this week said we need to build 100,000 affordable new homes for rent over the next two years.
It said providing new homes for rent will meet an “urgent” demand and help maintain jobs in the construction industry.
Alan Walter of Defend Council Housing said the deepening housing crisis only reinforces the case for proper investment in first-class council housing.
He said: “It is time to end the robbery – and ring fence rents and receipts nationally to fully fund allowances and provide funding to start building new council homes.”
