There is absolutely no doubt that social housing has never experienced such a crisis in its history. We've got more people sleeping on the streets than ever; developers' contributions towards affordable housing as part of Section 106 planning obligations are almost non-existent (830 affordable properties were lost in just one year in Salford via such avoidance*); and Tory Government policy is hell bent on destroying the concept...
...Those already living in social housing face `pay to stay' rules if household income goes over £30,000 plus an end to lifelong tenancies, while the `right to buy' from housing associations will reduce social housing stocks even more. Meanwhile, an enforced 1% cut in rents (which people on benefits don't pay) will further reduce housing associations' ability to invest in new housing.
The Tories are also re-defining `affordable housing' to include discounts on bought starter homes. All this, on top of a move from `social rent' to the more expensive `affordable rent' in many housing schemes, and it's creating a perfect social housing storm. Meanwhile, David Cameron was reported this week to have earned over £500,000 from renting out his own posh house in Notting Hill, while ensconced in tax payer funded Downing Street.
With all this in the background, the Government handed the Greater Manchester Combined Authority a £300million Housing Fund as part of the devolution process, which was hailed as somehow helping the crisis. But the £300million fund is spread between the ten local GM authorities over ten years, which will see Salford get something like a mere £3million a year – maybe enough to build thirty houses, with an officially recognised need for 887 social houses in the city every year.
Even worse, is that the GM Housing Fund isn't going anywhere near social housing. Projects to benefit so far include a £17.3million cheap loan for two Blackfriars blocks of unaffordable housing to be built by Fred Done's FICM Ltd (see here); and a £10.3million cheap loan to Rowlinson Developments' controversial scheme for 164 apartments on Peel Holdings land at Pomona (see here).
Against this backdrop, the newly formed network Manchester and Salford Housing Action is holding a meeting on 25th January at Friends' Meeting House in Manchester
"Manchester and Salford Housing Action seeks to bring together everyone campaigning on housing and homelessness to make our demands clear and to develop a city wide campaign to demand the solutions to the housing crisis" states the network "This event will bring together all groups, activists and others working on issues relating to housing and homelessness in Manchester and Salford to draw up our Demands for Devolution."
Demands for Devolution: Housing in Manchester and Salford
Monday 25th January 7-9pm
Friends' Meeting House
6 Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS
For further details see the Facebook page Demands for Devolution: Housing in Manchester and Salford – click here
* For full detail see the Salford Star print issue £19million Planning Scandal - click here
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