Call for empty houses to be used as social housing

10.22.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 16th Oct 2008

The Liberal Democrat group at City Hall has unveiled radical plans to increase the social housing stock in Norwich. Under the scheme, the council would investigate buying up empty houses for use as social housing. The plans will go before council next Tuesday.

It was reported last month that Norwich is facing an increasing shortage of social housing and a growing problem of private development being left unfinished, unsold or empty as the credit crunch bites the housing sector. Under Lib Dem plans the council would buy up unused property and land and use it as social housing. The scheme is already being successfully pioneered by Newcastle City Council.

Councillor Judith Lubbock commented "Norwich is facing a crisis in social housing. 1 in every 16 households in the region are on a social housing waiting list and in the current economic climate this is only going to get worse. More people are likely to loose their jobs, fall into debt and have their homes repossessed. At the same time as this crisis, there are private developments standing empty, unsold or unfinished. Council's could buy up these properties and land and use them to house people who are desperate for a home."

"The scheme would in one move help the social housing crisis and give a much needed boost to the housing and construction sector in the city. It has been successfully tried in Newcastle, so we should investigate doing it here. Labour, despite their rhetoric, are not acting to sort out this problem. In eleven years they have failed to provide an adequate supply of social and affordable housing for those who can't get on the property ladder or have had their homes repossessed. As a council we need to start taking real and innovative action."

It was reported last month, that the Labour run council's plans to build new council houses had been put on hold for 'technical reasons.' Since Labour came to power in 1997, the amount of social housing nationally has fallen whilst the number of households on social housing waiting lists has risen by almost 70%.

Funding for the Lib Dem scheme could come from existing government schemes or the government could relax borrowing rules and let the council borrow against its assets to fund the project. The scheme could also be undertaken by other registered social landlords.

The party will also call on the council to open communication with private developers to see if localised solutions can be found to enable unused or unsold private housing to be used as social housing on an ad-hoc basis.

Notes:

The Liberal Democrat Group will move the following motion at next week's full Norwich City Council meeting:

"This Council Notes:

The amount of social housing nationally has dwindled from 4.386 million social homes to rent in England in 1997 to just 3.936 million social homes in 2006 while the number of households on social housing waiting lists has risen almost 70% to 1.67 million;

That, according to the National Housing Federation (NHF), one in every 16 households in the East of England are on a social housing waiting list;

The last year has seen a steady rise in the number of people on social housing lists in Norwich;

That many newly built flats and houses in the City are unsold or have been left empty due to the sharp economic downturn and associated problems;

The policy of Newcastle City Council to buy houses on a new private development, which was in severe financial trouble, and make the homes available for affordable rents;

Council Resolves to ask the Executive to:

1. explore the possibility of this Council buying up unsold properties and sites from building companies in order to replenish the social housing stock and help the property sector, using existing funding steams or asking the government to relax borrowing rules, allowing councils and social landlords to borrow against their assets to fund such a scheme;

2. open communication with private developers to see if localised solutions can be found to enable unused or unsold private housing to be used as social housing."

More information on the Liberal Democrat plans can be found here: http://www.libdems.org.uk/home/liberal-democrats-approve-plans-to-tackle-mortgage-and-housing-crisis-551216;show

More information on the scheme in Newcastle can be found here: http://www.libdemvoice.org/lib-dems-in-newcastle-in-brave-bold-commendable-intervention-in-housing-market-3330.html

More information on the social housing crisis in Norwich can be found here: http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/search/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&itemid=NOED29%20Sep%202008%2013:55:56:847&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=search