Ministers promised to replace any affordable homes sold, but they’ve broken that promise - Healey

Thursday, 20 April 2017 11:54

Commenting on new statistics showing a dramatic fall in the number of council homes under the Conservatives, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, John Healey MP said: “After seven years of failure the Conservatives have no plan to fix the housing crisis. “These new government figures show that there are over 200,000 fewer council homes than when Labour left office. “Ministers promised to replace...Request free trial

Commenting on new statistics showing a dramatic fall in the number of council homes under the Conservatives, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, John Healey MP said:

“After seven years of failure the Conservatives have no plan to fix the housing crisis.

“These new government figures show that there are over 200,000 fewer council homes than when Labour left office.

“Ministers promised to replace any affordable homes sold, but they’ve broken that promise. Only one council home has been replaced for every five sold.

“The next Labour government’s new deal on housing will build 100,000 affordable homes a year for local people by getting councils building again.”

ENDS

Notes

New statistics were released today on dwelling stock in England in CLG live table 104. They show that there are 208,000 fewer council homes now than in Labour’s last year in 2009.

Local authority rented homes (thousands)

2009	1,820
2010	1,786
2011	1,726
2012	1,693
2013	1,682
2014	1,669
2015	1,643
2016	1,612

The number of new affordable homes (built by councils and housing associations) being built is at a 24 year low:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply.

In 2012 when Ministers increased right to buy discounts, they promised to replace council homes sold “1-for-1”:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/revamped-right-to-buy-to-deliver-thousands-of-new-homes

But official statistics show they have only replaced one for every five sold over this period:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-social-housing-sales (tables 691 and 693)