Government Housing Policies Prolonging Misery for Thousands

Construction union UCATT have described the Government’s housing policies as creating misery for thousands of families. The union made their claim on the day that the Labour Party held an opposition day debate in Parliament on the housing crisis. New research shows that despite the number of homes being built having increased, it is still less than half the number that is required and a housing gap exist in every region of England. The most pressing area of housing need is for new council and social housing. There are currently five million people on housing waiting lists. The lack of council and social housing has become more acute due to the Government’s slashing of the budget for building new social housing by 60%, soon after entering office. Read more on the UCATT website.

Union Movement Unites In Campaign for Social Housing

The trade union movement has united to support a call by construction union UCATT for a huge increase in the building of social housing.  The TUC Congress in Brighton overwhelmingly supported a motion moved by UCATT which lambasted the Conservative-led Government’s record on social housing and called for a five point plan to begin to resolve the housing crisis.  Under the present Government homelessness has risen by 14%, families living in bed and breakfast have increased by 44%, private rents have increased by 26% and there are currently 5 million people on housing waiting lists. Investment in social housing fell by a massive 25% in the previous quarter compared to the same period in 2011. Last year in the six months up to September 2011, there were just 259 properties for social rent completed. At least 240,000 new homes are needed each year to meet demand.  Read more on the UCATT website.

Right to Buy and The '12,700 Lost Council Homes'

Nearly 13,000 homes sold under the Right to Buy (RTB) up to 2015 will not be replaced, according to construction union Ucatt who says it has "exposed flaws" in the Government's one-for-one pledge. As part of the scheme the Government wants to replace every home sold with a new one. However, in a stinging response to the CLG, Ucatt has highlighted that nearly 13,000 homes will be sold between 2011-15 without the funds going towards new housing.
This is because the one-for-one pledge only covers additional homes sold under the Right to Buy scheme and not the 12,700 properties the Government had already estimated would be sold under the current arrangements between 2011-15. Read more on the Ucatt website.

CBI Seek To Plunder Profits from Social Housing

Construction union UCATT have warned that a new report from the CBI is a thinly disguised call for the private sector to be given unfettered access to plunder social housing contracts for profit. The report “Improving homes, improving lives: using competition for better social housing”, claims that £1.5 billion could be saved by opening up social housing to additional competition. Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: “Council housing is the most outsourced section of local government. Housing repairs and maintenance contracts have been subject to external tendering for years. The outsourcing of these services always results in poorer services and increased costs. The CBI report isn’t really about improving services and saving money; it is about boosting the profits of the CBI’s members.” The timing of the CBI report is particularly ill timed coming just weeks after Connaught, which specialised in the outsourcing of social housing repairs and maintenance contracts, was forced into administration. Read the full story on the UCATT website by clicking on the logo below.