Council Accused Of "Social Cleansing" After Moving Homeless Out Of The Area

A Thurrock councillor has accused the council of “social cleansing” after new figures revealed that a growing number of vulnerable families are being moved to neighbouring boroughs. The Thurrock Independent Party claims that more than 100 families could be permanently housed outside of the borough by the end of the year. The leader of the party, Luke Spillman, said the council is “active participants in social cleansing” and he estimates as many as 118 families could be permanently rehoused out of the borough by the end of the year. Last year there was just 15. Read more on the Echo website.

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/16594933.council-accused-of-social-cleansing-after-moving-homeless-out-of-the-area/

Council Arm for New Homes

A council is setting up a wholly-owned subsidiary in an attempt to kick-start house building in the face of a weak development market. Labour-led Thurrock Council will be the sole shareholder of the new special purpose company, using tens of millions of pounds of borrowing from its general fund to build homes on council-owned land.  The move, which could deliver 1,000 homes by 2018, aims to stimulate the flagging housing market in the area. Thurrock plans to wind the company up and sell the homes to private companies when market conditions improve.  A cabinet paper said the model allows the authority to do this easily as there are currently no joint venture partners to consult with. Read more on Inside Housing.

Downsizing Tenants Offered Rent Holiday

An Essex Council has decided to go ahead with its plan to offer under-occupying tenants a rent holiday if they move to smaller properties.  Thurrock Council agreed the move as part of its new allocations policy in an attempt to alleviate the impact of the government’s bedroom tax.  Val Morris-Cook, portfolio holder for housing, said: ‘I am really pleased to see the issue of downsizing is now taken into account. We are still looking at exactly what the benefits could be for moving out of a large home into a smaller, more suitable one, but one of them will be a “live rent-free” for a specific time which we have yet to decide.’  Read more on the Thurrock Council website.