I've had a very interesting, albeit busy week discussing the future of housing in Reading with Council officers, residents and councillors in my role as Lib Dem Housing spokesperson, and Chair of Housing, Health and Community Care Scrutiny Panel.
On Monday evening, I met officers to discuss the development of Reading's housing strategy. The government has decreed all Council's must have one. Despite this, the work going into this document will clearly have real value in terms of outlining what direction housing policy in Reading takes.
The developing strategy aims to look at questions such as 'how do we ensure enough affordable housing is being built in Reading?' and 'what is the role of the private rented sector?'. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, the much-talked about economic downturn has also thrown up questions about housing in Reading.
Anyway, discussions on the new strategy will continue through the summer into the autumn when a consultation draft will appear for public comment (which I will post here). The new strategy should be in place by March 2009.
Yesterday evening I was invited to a discussion on the future of housing in Reading by the Reading Federation of Tenants' and Residents' Association. The discussion was very lively, and ended up going on for over two hours, with questions ranging from 'what do you think about building on back gardens?' to 'would your Party advocate the sale of the Council's housing stock' and 'what can be done about empty homes?'
These questions gave me no real problems. Locally, the Lib Dems have campaigned strongly for cleaner and safer neighbourhoods, against 'garden grabbing' and for an effective empty homes strategy. We have no desire to see Council housing sold off, following Council tenant's vote in favour of keeping the Council as their landlord a few years ago.
We also disagree with Labour government pressure on Councils to sell off their stock. We also reject wholeheartedly Labour's tax on Council tenants, which sees 15% of Reading rents go into Whitehall coffers.
It was great to meet the RFTRA officers, all local residents from different parts of Reading, who did an excellent job of putting local politicians of all political colours on the spot and telling us exactly what they see as the housing issues and problems locally. You rarely get to debate these issues in depth, without things degenerating into a political bunfight.
Nationally, as well as locally, housing continues to be a massive issue and rightly so. I read today that for the first time in decades local councils, led by Barking & Dagenham may be allowed to build more council housing in significant numbers.
Hard to believe that back in the 1950s, both Labour and the Conservatives competed over who could build the most council houses. In 1951, the Tories promised to build 300,000! What followed is a depressing story of council housing being sold off and not being built by successive Conservative and Labour governments. You can see the timeline here.
Incidentally, I searched this week for the Tories policy on Council housing on their website but found nothing.
Lack of affordable housing is no joke, however, and I'm pleased to be spending time with people who are closely involved and affected to try and find solutions.
This problem is urgent and the effects are being felt now.There are currently just over four thousand people on the Council housing waiting list in Reading...far outstripping the number of available Council houses in the Borough.
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