Teather Challenges Labour Government Over Brent Housing

5.27.07pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 6th May 2004

Sarah Teather is standing up for Brent Residents in the House of Commons.

Local Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather yesterday challenged the Labour Government in the House of Commons over the housing situation in Brent. Speaking in the housing debate the Brent East MP raised many of the issues that are concerning local residents such as house price increases, the housing waiting list and the number of empty homes in Brent.

The local Liberal Democrat MP challenged the Minister over house prices in Brent that increased by 11% last year, the biggest increase in any London Borough.

Sarah Teather MP also raised concerns that 18,000 people are currently on the waiting list to be transferred into council housing, 4,238 of whom are in temporary accommodation.

The local MP was most concerned that with so many people on the waiting list, Brent still had such a large number of empty homes compared to the London average. The incidence of empty homes in Brent is 5.4% compared with the London average of 3.2%.

Local Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather said:

"The Government must do more to tackle housing issues in Brent. It seems ridiculous that whilst we have so many people waiting to be housed, many of whom are in temporary accommodation that Brent has such a high rate of empty homes compared to the London average. Many local residents either come to my office or see me at my advice surgery because they are having to wait for such a long time on the housing list. More should be done so that empty homes are filled by families that need them rather than them lying empty.

"With housing prices increasing so much in Brent last year it is becoming harder for many people to get the security that owning your own home provides. Many young families who are looking to make a start in life by buying a house are finding that Brent is becoming increasingly unaffordable. The Government must address these issues as a matter of urgency."