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| Rare example of affordable housing within Horsham |
The thing that has clearly come out of the Con-Dem government's spending review is the demonstration of ideological differences displayed by the coalition in respect of housing policy to that of both the previous Labour government and the Labour party here in Horsham.
While Horsham Labour party is on record as supporting increased levels of affordable housing, our local Conservative council has consistently missed its own very meagre targets. While the Labour government was increasing spend on affordable housing, the Lib Dems and Tory coalition has slashed the budget by 50%. While the Labour party believes in supporting and encouraging mixed communities the Coalition government is ready to evict families on housing benefit, creating ghettos where only the rich can afford to live.
The proposed changes to housing benefit have created considerable debate within the media, but make no mistake people will be uprooted from their family homes through no fault of their own, simply because they live within what has become an affluent area. Is it right to attack the recipients of housing benefit in this way? Housing benefit should not be used as a means of disproportionately boosting the bank balances of private landlords. Instead the Government should consider returning to a system of setting 'fair' private rents, with the money saved being used to encourage councils such as ours to build social housing.
It is clear that the unaffordable nature of housing goes way beyond those in receipt of housing benefit, when a recent survey undertaken by Shelter and as reported in last week’s paper, identified that an income of £50,000 is needed to buy a home within Horsham District. It is neither fair nor will it be effective to attack those most in need, when looking for solutions to our housing crisis. Far better to consider repealing the 'right to buy' legislation and invest in a new generation of affordable social housing which over time would dramatically reduce the need to provide housing benefit to those living in the unregulated private rented sector.
The proposed changes to housing policy are not fair, will not increase the supply of affordable housing, and are centred on attacking those in most need. Here in Horsham it has been clear to the local Labour party that the Tory Council has for a long time been undertaking a policy that has controversially been described as social cleansing, as it has consistently refused to meet even its own inadequate targets for social housing provision.
The Con-Dem government changes to housing policy, if introduced, will mimic what has long been happening within Horsham and sends out the message to many hard working folk that you are welcome to come and work for us within the district but under no account are you welcome to live among us.