Tory policy to 'sell-off' Council houses branded as irresponsible

1.11.40pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 29th Aug 2006

Liberal Democrat Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) says that the Tory leadership's plans to sell off Council houses are irresponsible and will undermine the viability of the business plans of Bradford Community Housing Trust and other registered social landlords in Bradford.

"These plans announced by the Tory leader, David Cameron are irresponsible. Increasing the number of council houses that are sold off will threaten the viability of the business plans of Bradford Community Housing Trust" says Councillor Sunderland. "This will undermine their ability to provide a decent service. Instead of working against the plans of Bradford Community Housing Trust the Tories should be working with them to make sure that they achieve the quality services that tenants deserve."

"For many tenants, encouraging them to buy properties only makes matters worse and can cause homelessness. Often people cannot get loans from building societies or banks so they end up going to money lenders with sharper practices who are less sympathetic if people cannot pay" says Councillor Sunderland. "They end up being charged higher rates of interest and are evicted quicker if things go wrong."

The leading housing charity has warned that the Tory plans would merely make the housing situation worse for those who could not afford the right to buy. A spokeswoman for Shelter said: "Mr Cameron's proposal to sell off even more social rented homes may help a lucky few who can afford to buy, but will exacerbate the nightmare of bad housing for thousands of families suffering at the sharp end of the housing crisis. "

"Right to buy and the failure to build has created a chronic shortage of affordable rented homes for those who will never be able to buy - even with government help - and who rely on this already straining safety net to prevent them falling in to homelessness or appalling housing conditions."

Councillor Sunderland says that local authorities should be given the "right to build" by the government to make sure that there are sufficient homes for people throughout Bradford. "By wanting to return to the failed housing policies of the Thatcher years such as the rent to mortgage scheme which was a dud the first time round the Tories will set the provision of a decent home for everyone in Bradford back years."

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