100 Year Wait For A Home Totally Unacceptable - Teather

5.24.42pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 30th Mar 2007

Sarah Teather has been campaigning on housing issues since she was first elected

Local MP for Brent East Sarah Teather has expressed her shock at figures released by the Liberal Democrats which show that under the Government's current plans it will take another century for Brent to meet its social housing needs.

Tony Blair promised to provide more social housing when he came to power in 1997. But after 10 years of Labour, waiting lists have gone up and the number of new homes being built is nowhere near high enough to meet demand. This has trapped thousands of Brent families in poor, inadequate housing.

Sarah is calling for the Government to reverse the old Conservative policy of forbidding local councils across the country to use 'right to buy' money to invest in new housing stock. Nationally, Sarah also wants to see councils being given the freedom to borrow money to build new homes, just as Housing Associations are.

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

"Every child and every family in Brent deserves a decent home. Inadequate housing effects a person's education, health and life chances. If the government were serious about ending poverty in Brent they would make this a priority.

"I deal with many cases of poor housing in my constituency office every day. It is devastating to see so many families trapped in temporary accommodation with no real hope of ever being properly housed.

"Doing nothing is not an option. The government must immediately give all local councils the freedom to borrow money to build more homes. And councils must be allowed to invest money collected from the right to buy scheme in new homes for our borough.

"A child born into a family on the Housing List today could reach their 100th birthday before they get a decent place to live. This is more than just a failed Labour policy: it is a personal tragedy for all those in Brent who desperately need a home."

Related Links:

Read statistics uncovered by the Liberal Democrats showing the numbers of new homes in Brent.

Read statistics uncovered by the Liberal Democrats showing the number of families waiting to be rehoused.