Westminster Report

BY David Burton-Sampson MP for Southend West & Leigh.
I lived in a housing association house for the first 21 years of my life. It provided me with a safe and stable home, a place to grow up and gave me a solid foundation. I am proud of my roots and thankful that council and social housing was available for my family.
We want that ability to build a future where everyone has a front door to call their own and that is why this government is launching a historic council house building programme.
70,000 new social and affordable homes will be built in England as part of government plans to tackle the housing crisis.
We do not want people trapped in temporary accommodation forever, we do not want housing lists that grow and grow and we do not want people in insecure homes, where they cannot even keep their children in the same schools.
Last year Southend Council reported almost 400 households in temporary accommodation and more than 1,600 households on the housing waiting list. Our local homelessness charity HARP provided more than 310 bed spaces and they support 1,000 people a year. So, homelessness is still a significant problem in our city.
I want to see our Labour government deliver the kind of home I had and I am delighted that we are launching a record £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
We are going to drive the biggest council housebuilding revival in decades and I back the plans all the way. Councils will get the support they need to build more homes.
The first wave will deliver £10bn to fund the expansion. It’s a major step in getting councils to build at scale again. 60% of the house building budget will go on homes for social rent, shared ownership housing and sheltered accommodation.
No child should be raised in a hostel and no family should wait ten years for their own home. I believe that a good home is the basis for a good life.
Funding is expected to flow directly to mayoral authorities which builds on the Prime Minister’s commitment to move power and decision-making out of Whitehall and into local communities.
This is only the first stage. House building is a ten-year programme. It is hugely welcome to see this funding confirmed. We have needed to kickstart construction on new social homes for many years. They are desperately needed.
Councils, housing associations, mayors and government will work together to deliver the social and affordable homes the country needs to help tackle the backlog.
It will mean that the next generation will get the benefit of growing up in a settled home. One that is secure to grow up in, to give them the best start in life.
We are serious about this and the programme works hand in glove with our plans to give everyone a route out of rough sleeping by Christmas. I know, like so many, that having a safe place to live is the springboard for starting to achieve your wider dreams in life.
Read more
Visit: https://leigh-on-sea.news
Contact us. Email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leighonsea.news
Twitter: @leighonsea_news
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leighonsea.news