Call for more rented homes
22 May 2008
The Communities and Local Government committee has called for 50,000 more social rented homes a year to reduce lengthy council house waiting lists.
Released yesterday, the committee's all-party report on the supply of rented housing called for more Government attention for the sector, which accounts for some 30% of Britain's housing stock.
It described as 'unhelpful' the common view that renting is second best to owning a home, and said that the needs and aspirations of tenants 'are every bit as important as those of home-owners'.
Alongside 50,000 new social rented homes a year, the report demanded:
- more social-rented family homes to beat overcrowding.
- mixed communities, with social-rented, private-rented and owner-occupied homes in the same area.
- a clampdown on landlords who deliberately leave properties standing empty.
- reforms to housing benefit to make the system more flexible and to avoid late payment.
- greater regulation of private renting to ensure tenants are provided with a decent home.
Shelter's chief executive Adam Sampson said:
'Shelter has long campaigned for the need to build more social homes, particularly family sized homes, and improve standards in the private rented sector, so it is encouraging this report highlights these issues as areas for urgent action.
'Shelter particularly supports the recommendation to increase the supply of social housing to 50,000 homes a year, but it is vital these are within in mixed, sustainable communities across the country.
'The Government must concentrate on how it will work with local authorities and housing associations to deliver these new social homes and develop effective regulation to make the private rented sector an affordable, good quality alternative.'
