Labour - party of building?

Does 'biggest boost' = lots and lots more money, Casdon?

I don’t know where you got your information from Grantanow.
‘Rayner says Labour will deliver “biggest boost to affordable housing for a generation” Labour's Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said the next Labour Government will deliver the biggest boost to affordable housing for a generation – with social and council housing at the heart of Labour's secure homes plan.’
From the Labour Party website.

That is my point MaizieD. Labour is unwilling to say it will increase the grant to Councils for house building because it fears being labelled a high spender of taxpayers' money. Hence their talking up 'affordable' homes which are private sector builds and unaffordable for the many who need social housing.

We shall have to wait and see Maizie.

Germanshepherdsmum

Indeed. They need more money.

Well, they're not going to get that from the current government, are they?

And, the way things look at the moment, I don't think they're going to get it from the next government, either.

Indeed. They need more money.

Germanshepherdsmum

The RTB legislation should be repealed at the earliest opportunity.

One of our local housing associations has just announced that it is having to halve the number of properties it had planned to build over the next three years owing to rocketing construction costs. The provision of construction funding for housing associations and councils is needed urgently.

I agree the RTB legislation should be repealed.

Of course local authorities can repurchase Council houses as Casdon says but most are so short of money that it's an unlikely option at the market price and wouldn't meet the demand.

AskAlice

Another policy which might help would be one that ringfenced any money from the Right to Buy scheme so that it is used to build more social housing. This should have happened back in the days when Right to Buy was first brough in. Or am I being naive/stupid?

Not naive or stupid, but absolutely correct, imo. RTB was nothing but a money making racket for central government. Social housing should have been replaced on a one for one basis. The fact that it wasn't has led to today's crisis in the housing market.

Grantanow

Of course a variety of homes is desirable but Labour are not talking about Council houses and I doubt a building programme for them will be in the Manifesto. Our former MP (a Tory, unfortunately) was very clear that so-called affordable homes are out of reach of many people in this rural area and they are driven into the low quality private rented sector.

Council houses are being built in Wales, which is obviously a Labour administration, so not specifying does not mean it won’t or can’t happen.
I’m not in favour of a specific specification that council housing must be built being in the manifesto, but I am in favour of a commitment to increased funding for local authorities to find the best housing solutions for their areas. It’s really important for there to be affordable choices for renters. Security of tenure is not generally an issue for Housing Association tenants, and more regulation would solve it for renters of private accommodation. I’m not personally in favour of a ‘home for life’ for council houses except in some circumstances for the tenant and spouse, but I think it needs to be very clear from the beginning that is the case.
My council has a policy of buying back former council houses when they are for sale, and I think that is one of the solutions in rural areas because most villages originally had a council housing stock.

The RTB legislation should be repealed at the earliest opportunity.

One of our local housing associations has just announced that it is having to halve the number of properties it had planned to build over the next three years owing to rocketing construction costs. The provision of construction funding for housing associations and councils is needed urgently.

One other important factor is security of tenure. Too often renters are given notice by private landlords (sometimes for trying to get improvements to substandard properties) and this causes no end of disruption to working families and may lead to homelessness. Council housing offers security and a high bar to eviction. I hope Labour will include Council housing in its new towns proposal: much of former new towns like Crawley comprised Council housing though of course Thatcher destroyed that long term social resource by selling them off for political gain and preventing new build in the sector.

I’m not keen on shared ownershipaffordable homes but affordable rented homes run by housing associations have a massive benefit. Because they are charities they don’t pay tax anywhere near to the extent of a private landlord, so the higher rent a private landlord would charge goes straight to the government.

The greatest need is for affordable rented homes owned and managed by councils or housing associations. The need will become even more acute as private landlords continue to sell up owing to the proposed new legislation and to increased mortgage rates.

Of course a variety of homes is desirable but Labour are not talking about Council houses and I doubt a building programme for them will be in the Manifesto. Our former MP (a Tory, unfortunately) was very clear that so-called affordable homes are out of reach of many people in this rural area and they are driven into the low quality private rented sector.

Council houses are not the only solution to the housing crisis Grantanow, and they aren’t for everybody, although they should be part of the solution. A mixed housing economy is a good position from a consumer perspective, provided rents in all types of accommodation are affordable. I know several people who have purchased the affordable homes on new developments or opted for the part ownership model too, all single younger people who are happy with their choices.

Labour are being devious by talking up affordable homes. They know they are unaffordable to most people but they want to avoid being seen committing taxpayers' money to the massive Council house programme which is necessary. Hopefully they will start building Council houses once they achieve government otherwise they are as bad as the Tories.

We have them around the villages, very popular for the lucky ones, never enough of course. A friend of nine had been living in a mobile home she had to move and got one, very pleased.

Councils always used to have small bungalows for pensioners, my own Nan used to live in one, she was happy there.

My grandparents had one in a 1950s built council estate. It had a garden big enough for grandpa to grow a fair amount of veg and granny to grow her flowers. They were very content there, too.

madeline45 I loved your comments, that sounded a great way of life.
I don’t think large gardens are possible now tho, the price of land and so on, also some would become like a wilderness as few people want the bother of upkeep these days.
Councils always used to have small bungalows for pensioners, my own Nan used to live in one, she was happy there.

Why is a cycle shed a horrible thing?

nanna8

Water butts ? Are they a version of tanks? We have tanks for watering the garden when there is a drought but you have to be a bit careful and they need filters because animals poo in them and mosquitoes breed. We used to actually only have tank water in one of our houses, linked up with the taps but I would say it is a backward step to go back to that. We had a septic tank then ,too but I certainly wouldn’t recommend that. As for cycle sheds, no way. Horrible things.

It’s just a barrel under a down pipe, maybe a tap on the bottom useful for watering the garden.

Water butts ? Are they a version of tanks? We have tanks for watering the garden when there is a drought but you have to be a bit careful and they need filters because animals poo in them and mosquitoes breed. We used to actually only have tank water in one of our houses, linked up with the taps but I would say it is a backward step to go back to that. We had a septic tank then ,too but I certainly wouldn’t recommend that. As for cycle sheds, no way. Horrible things.

Today’s building regulations ensure plenty of insulation and energy efficiency madeleine. Planning authorities want to see water butts and cycle sheds too. There is no ‘Jerry built poor new stuff’ being built today. However the very large council house gardens of the past are a thing of the past due to the cost of land.

AGAA4

Houses are being built in areas where the infrastructure can't support the people who come to live there. Schools can already be full. Doctors and dentists' lists are closed and the extremely busy roads can't cope with more cars.
I have seen this happen where promises are made for a new school and shops and once the houses are built the facilities don't get built.

Absolutely spot on. When I moved here, for work, there was promise of a small shop, school, and pub. We now have a massive residential home, costing 2000 per month, a massive supermarket, 20 years waiting, used by everyone for miles, causing heavy traffic, no school, no public transport. Lots more housing, including bungalows. Developers should be held to more account by planners. This in a so called deprived area.
We definitely need more social housing included.

Caravansera
why can’t we do it again
I watched a documentary on Douglas Thomkins ( the founder of North Face) who went onto be a conservationist saving millions of acres of land in Chilli.
He was asked how he did it, his answer, you commit 100% and deal with the obstacles as they come along
That’s what’s missing in all our politicians: 100% commitment.