End right to buy call

With house prices now up to 14 times the average salary and 600 families a day facing losing their home Unite is calling for more social housing.

Labour’s national policy report promises more affordable housing; but Unite says we must go further than this to achieve secure and affordable homes for all.

Addressing Labour party conference, (September 21) Steve Turner, Unite assistant general secretary said, “A safe, secure and affordable roof over your head is a fundamental right.”

Steve was concerned that there was a, “growing obscenity of families forced from their communities into insecure private rental or B&B emergency accommodation.”

He demanded to know what about our kids living at home well into their 30s? He said they weren’t living with their struggling parents to help support them face the bedroom tax, but because they could not get on the property ladder.

Steve described the benefits cap as “effectively class-cleansing our inner cities, sanitising our streets for the wealthy.

“Many who remain in new mixed developments forced to enter their homes through ‘poor doors’ like 19th century servants.”

For every ÂŁ1 invested in house building, ÂŁ2 is generated in economic output, 92 pence stays in the UK and 56 pence returns to the treasury in tax and benefit savings.

“Five jobs are created for each two homes built,” he continued. “These should be good jobs. Safe jobs. Union jobs. If we’re going to put tax payers money into building homes not lining pockets we have to lift the borrowing cap on local authorities and give local authorities funding to invest in local homes.”

He concluded, “Let’s not forget that as councils build homes others are being lost as quickly.

“Families are being forced away from friends and communities, priced out by private and so called affordable rents.

“We need to end the right to buy. All of this can help us return to housing as homes – not as pensions and assets. Fight for social housing!”