Uttlesford adds its support to national council housing rescue plan
A five-point plan to fix the country's council housing system has been backed by Uttlesford District Council.
The council has joined an unprecedented cross-party coalition of over 200 councils, led by Southwark Council, in signing up to the 'Securing the Future of Council Housing' plan which aims to influence the government in addressing what it has determined are the "broken financial model" and "erratic policy changes" impacting on the local authority housing sector.
The report sets out 23 recommendations to renew the housing system over the next decade, summarised in five solutions:
· A new fair and sustainable Housing Revenue Account model - including a one-off £644 million rescue injection and long-term certain rent and debt agreements
· Reforms to unsustainable Right to Buy policies - including reducing discount levels and ensuring 100% of receipts are invested in replacement homes
· Removing red tape on existing funding
· A new long-term Green & Decent Homes Programme to bring council housing up to improved standards
· Urgent action to restart stalled building projects, avoiding the loss of construction sector capacity and a market downturn
Uttlesford District Council has 2,800 council homes in its existing stock. Improving the standard of these homes and bringing forward more affordable housing locally is a key priority. Currently, 1,170 households are on the council housing register waiting for a suitable property.
Cllr Arthur Coote, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: "Providing safe, healthy and warm homes for our residents is a key focus and delivering more high-quality affordable homes is a crucial part of this. Like councils up and down the country, it is important we have the right funding and national policies in place to continue to be able to do this. We are therefore pleased to support this national report which we hope will lead to greater certainty for the future of council housing nationally."
A progress report on the 'Securing the Future of Council Housing' plan was considered by Uttlesford's Housing Board at its meeting on 12 December. The Housing Board - which is a working group of the Cabinet made up of cross-party members and representatives of the Uttlesford Tenant & Leaseholder Panel - agreed to support the national initiative.
7 January 2025
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