Government 'Failing' On Affordable Housing - Labour

The Government is failing to provide housing for normal hardworking people, according to the Labour Party's House Minister.

Hilary Benn, responding to comments by Housing Minister Grant Shapps, said there was a "housing crisis" for ordinary, hardworking people, which the Tory-led Government was "simply failing to deal with".

Mr Benn said that over the past year there had been a 6% fall in new homes in England, while new homes were now down 42% on what Labour had managed in 2007/8. "Building on public land will be part of an answer to the crisis and, as part of our five point jobs plan, Labour has already urged the Government to use funds from a bankers’ bonus tax to build thousands of affordable homes," the Shadow Housing Minister said. He added: "But Grant Shapps is totally out of touch with what’s really going on and people are getting fed up with false dawns followed by a failure to deliver.

“All people really want are more homes to be built at affordable prices and on that test Grant Shapps is failing badly.”

Meanwhile, on Monday, Mr Shapps reassured homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages of the "wide range of support" available to help them keep their homes, and ensure that repossession remains the last resort.

Mr Shapps said that the latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders showed the number of homes taken into possession were "largely unchanged", despite increasing by 1% on the previous quarter to 9,200.

The Minister said the Government was providing help for people wanting to get on the property ladder, while support was available to keep them in their homes and avoid the threat of repossession.

The minister added that over the next two years the Government was investing £200 million into the Mortgage Rescue scheme, which is designed to offer "a last resort to the most vulnerable families to avoid repossession".

Mr Shapps said: "Owning a home is an aspiration for many people. But just as we are helping people to get onto the property ladder we are also committed to ensuring advice, information and real practical support is available to help ensure that even in tough times people are helped to stay on the property ladder and that repossession remains the last resort."

(DW)