Camden News: Frank Dobson | Housing Policy | Lunatic | House of Commons Council Housing Group

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Camden News - by TOM FOOT
Published: 5 March 2009

Government’s council homes policy is ‘lunatic’ and ‘cock-eyed’

FRANK Dobson has urged the government to end its “lunatic” housing policy and start building more council homes.
The Labour MP told a meeting at Parliament: “Since 1997, we’ve had a crackers housing policy, based on misunderstandings of a ‘housing ladder’. We have lost the idea of making decent homes affordable, and instead it’s all been about home ownership.
“It’s a cock-eyed lunatic policy.”
Speaking last Wednesday, he added: “I remember when Camden municipalised 6,000 private rented properties one year – without one word of complaint by any private tenant. They were glad to have the security and to get away from exploiting private landlords. The cheapest, quickest, most affordable way of providing for social need is council housing.”
The meeting of the House of Commons Council Housing Group heard a series of deputations from council tenants from across the country demanding an “an end to the robbery” of tenants’ rents.
The government takes more than a quarter of Camden rents and uses it to meet costs outside the housing sector.
Meric Apak, chairman of the Camden Federation of Tenants and Residents, told the meeting: “From £112million in local rents, £24.2m will be withheld by the government.
“That is three months of rent for every house in Camden. This funding is needed badly. The council says that it has a £242m gap in its repair budget – and so it is selling properties to raise funds.
“We are arguing for direct investment in council homes.”

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