Green Party welcomes move toward new council housing
31 August 2008
News from the Green Party | 1 September 2008
GREEN PARTY WELCOMES MOVE TOWARD NEW COUNCIL HOUSING
- Allowing local authorities to intervene in the market is a first step towards a fair housing policy.
The Green Party today welcomed rumours that the government is preparing to allow local authorities to buy empty, repossessed and unsold properties for new council houses. The Party will be voting on a new policy that would create a ‘'Right to Rent’' for homeowners threatened with repossession later this week, at its Autumn Conference.
Councillor Adrian Ramsay is leader of the Green Party Council Group in Norwich and has played a key role in keeping the Norwich housing stock in Council hands over the last few years. He said today:
"It is good to see that a turn-around in government policy looks likely. We have argued for many years that a plentiful supply of good quality council housing is a basic tenet of civilised society.
"The number of council houses in the UK has been desperately low since the Tory sell-off in the 1980s effectively stole the right to shelter from future generations. Replacement rates have not kept up with sales, and the Labour government has so far done nothing to help reverse this trend. It is indicative of the priorities of the government that it has taken a financial crisis finally to jolt them into some action."
According to reports in various newspapers today, Gordon Brown plans to help local authorities increase their housing stock with measures including allowing them to buy unsold or repossessed properties and by encouraging them to offer financial aid to struggling families in exchange for a stake in their homes.
Councillor Ramsay continued: “"While these steps are welcome, we would prefer to see the government signing up fully to our policies on housing. This would mean a huge new programme of Council house building to solve the ongoing crisis of affordable housing, rather than Brown’s ill-thought-out Eco-Towns scheme. And it would include a range of other measures to reduce costs for householders, such as providing free home insulation.”"
At Green Party conference, which will begin on Friday this week in London, the party will be voting on whether to adopt a new policy that would enshrine in law a '‘Right to Rent'’ for struggling homeowners.
The policy motion states: “"Any house owner who cannot pay their mortgage and is threatened with repossession would have the right to sell to the council and then continue to live in the property and pay rent. This would avoid the disruption of repossession and in many cases the need for councils to find new homes for families."
Notes:
1) Leadership election:
Adrian Ramsay is the only candidate for Deputy Leader in the Green Party leadership election.
The first ever election for Green Party leader and Deputy will finish at conference on Friday 5 September – results announced at 8pm.
For more information about the candidates, see: www.greenparty.org.uk/leadership-elections
2) Conference:
Green Party Conference this year will be held in London from Friday 5 September to Monday 8 September
The venue is the School of Oriental and African Studies, Thornhaugh Street, London, WC1H 0XG
MAIN HIGHLIGHTS:
Friday 5 September
1pm - registration starts
6pm - Panel with Ken Livingstone, Darren Johnson, Jenny Jones and Tony Travers on the future of London
8pm - announcement of results of the Green Party's first elections for Leader and Deputy (see: http://www.greenparty.org.uk/leadership-elections)
Saturday 6 September
12 noon - Panel on the 'Green New Deal' with Caroline Lucas MEP, Tony Juniper, Jeremy Leggett, Ann Pettifor
2pm - Leader's speech
3pm - Press reception and opportunities for interviews with the new Leader and Deputy
Sunday 7 September
A range of policy motions and fringes, including fringe on Iran with Peter Tatchell and Yasmin Mather
Monday 8 September
10am - Deputy Leader's speech
4pm – closes
PRESS REGISTRATION AND ACCESS TO THE AUDITORIUM:
Accredited members of the press can register at the main reception desk from 1pm Friday 5 September. Advance booking is not essential but, for ease of planning and to ensure this process goes smoothly, please let us know in advance if you are planning to attend.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There is limited space in the main auditorium. If you wish to observe, photograph or film the Leader's speech at 2pm on Saturday, or the Deputy Leader's speech at 10am on Monday, you must arrange this in advance.
Please contact Sian or Gary in the press office to arrange a place in the auditorium.
If you wish to hold a filmed interview with either the Leader or Deputy during the press reception at 3pm on Saturday, please also get in touch to arrange this in advance.
Siân Berry
Green Party Press Officer
1a Waterlow Road
London N19 5NJ
0207 561 0282
sian.berry@greenparty.org.uk
www.greenparty.org.uk
ENDS
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