TUC vote backs council-led building
The Trades Union Congress will campaign for councils to build significantly increased numbers of affordable homes, it was decided at its annual conference.
A motion was passed which proposed like-minded organisations should work together to ensure local authorities become prime deliverers of social housing. The proposal is now part of TUC policy.
Union Unite backed the motion and its deputy general secretary, Jack Dromey, took the opportunity to attack Conservative housing policy.
He suggested David Cameron could become known as ‘Shirley Porter in drag’ - after the Westminster council leader involved in the ‘homes for votes’ scandal in the 1980s - unless he ‘disowns the flagship council’.
He also attacked the housing record of Conservative-run Hammersmith & Fulham council, which was recently praised by shadow chancellor George Osborne.
‘The government is investing hundreds of millions of pounds in the kickstart programme to create 22,000 homes and 20,000 jobs, building Britain out of recession,’ Mr Dromey said.
‘But if the electorate thinks the Tories will deliver on council and social housing, they need to think again.’
The TUC Congress motion pointed out 1.77 million households are on housing waiting lists and there are more than 63,000 homeless households.
‘The policy pursued by successive governments that social housing should be provided by housing associations and that local authorities should be compelled to divest themselves of their housing stock means that almost half of local authorities no longer own or manage stock,’ it stated.
‘This has been an unmitigated failure and has continually failed to provide sufficient social housing units to meet demand.’
It also said recent government announcements that councils could build houses are a step in the right direction but do not go far enough.
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