Massive Hike in Council House Rents Proposed (Saffron Walden Constituency Liberal Democrats)

Saffron Walden Constituency Liberal Democrats <info@saffronwaldenlibdems.org.uk>

Massive Hike in Council House Rents Proposed

January 13, 2008 5:15 PM

Liberal Democrats oppose Labour government plans to put up council house rents in Uttlesford in order to subsidide badly run councils.

Liberal Democrats on Uttlesford District Council are astounded that once again our Council Tenants are going to have to face a proposed average 6.6% increase in rents this year.

This is because of the Labour Government's negative housing subsidy which takes money from efficient Council Housing Services and redistributes finance to other areas of the country where funding is low or not managed effectively. As a result of this process, Uttlesford Tenants are penalized by higher rents set by Government formula, which the Council has no choice but to carry out.

At Monday's Housing Initiatives Working Party, Cllr David Morson, Liberal Democrat Member for Elsenham & Henham stated, "Whatever the merits of helping poorer communities, this is not an honest and open way of doing it. Moreover it does so at the expense of people less able to pay"

Cllr John Hudson added, " The whole process is a mess. The Government gives with one hand and takes away with the other. Surely there must be a more effective way of doing things."

Cllr Morson proposed that the Council contacts other Councils through the Local Government Association to jointly make a protest about this unfair and repeated practice to the Housing Minister, Yvette Cooper.