Manchester's lack of ambition on affordable social housing is lamentable!

1.24.29pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 24th Jun 2009

Labour proposals to build 40 new council houses for seniors in the north of the City is a drop in the ocean when 21,000 (2009 figures) people are currently on the City's housing waiting lists according to Lib Dem Housing Spokesperson, Cllr Iain Donaldson.

The Labour proposal is to bid for the 40 houses under the Government's Social Housing Grant, a national pot of a meagre £ 100 million that was announced by Chancellor Alistair Darling in his budget.

Cllr Donaldson lambasted this as pitiful in the current housing crisis, and pointed out to the City's Executive Committee the receipts from Council House sales in Manchester alone since Labour came to power are nearly £ 250 million.

Under their Regional Spatial Strategy Labour in Manchester have committed to a target of generating 628 new affordable social houses a year in the City, and yet in 2007/08 (the latest full figures available) of a total of 3141 houses built only 271 were deemed affordable social houses. At the same time 347 Council houses were sold under right to buy, a net loss of 76 affordable social houses in the City.

Cllr Donaldson stated, "The lack of affordable social housing is one of the key issues being used by extremists to generate unrest in this City. It is the Council's responsibility to tackle that problem and ensure that the 'hope' of local communities for new affordable social housing becomes realised ambition rather than just another of Labour's failed promises."

"Now is the time for action to tackle Manchester's housing crisis, and yet this Labour council stands by like the dutch boy with his finger in the dyke as the water pours in over its head!"

For further information contact Cllr Iain Donaldson:

Email: cllr.i.Donaldson@manchester.gov.uk

Phone: 07958483281

Notes to editors:

1. Manchester's Labour bosses have presided over a staggering rise in the number of people on the housing waiting list to 21,000. Despite this being the official figure published by the Office of Communities and Local Government on their website, Labour's Exec Surpremo likes to pretend the figure is still last year's 18,000 as he seems to think that figure is acceptable.

2. Over 8338 council properties (including 2472 flats) have been sold under right to buy since Labour came to office in 1997. The capital receipts from this amount to £ 247,193,000.

3. Over 400 people are registered homeless in Manchester and being provided accommodation in B&B, Hostels, Private sector housing and other properties.

4. Over 13,000 properties in Manchester are unoccupied.

Related Link:

Cllr Iain Donaldson