Council Housing

EDM number 116 in 2002-03, proposed by Austin Mitchell on 18/11/2002.

That this House recognises that council housing has provided generations with a decent, affordable, secure and accountable alternative to market forces in housing is an important part of a comprehensive welfare state; further recognises that nearly three million tenants in England and Wales want this to continue but that it requires major investment to ensure that first rate council housing is available for future generations; notes the breakthrough of a new right to borrow for local authorities and the Secretary of State's assurance on 16th January that however tenants vote on privatisation their homes will be brought up to the decency standard by 2010 and therefore calls for the additional money for housing announced in the last spending review to be invested in council housing; believes that real choice for tenants depends on an end to Government discrimination against council housing, with the introduction of a level playing field by implementing measures outlined in the draft Local Government Bill and the ODPM 'blue skies' review of housing finance to end all daylight robbery tax on tenants' rents, free councils to borrow for investment, return all housing capital receipts to fund investment in council homes, write-off all HRA debt, fund council borrowing via a new allowance in the formula rent calculation, and use local authority social housing grant to build new council homes; and welcomes the Manifesto for Council Housing and other initiatives to highlight this issue and persuade Government to 'Stop privatisation and invest in council housing with no strings attached'.

This motion has been signed by a total of 130 MPs.