“Rise to the housing challenge” – Emily urges Council Leader

The Government's Housing Minister has announced a national plan for new affordable housing - though she warned the extra investment would only work with cooperation from local councils, who she said now have "a huge responsibility" to make sure more homes are built.

In the Commons yesterday, Housing Minister Yvette Cooper announced an extra £2.5billion for socially rented homes - and outlined plans that would allow councils, working alone or with partners like housing associations, to build new and affordable homes.

In the debate after the announcement, Emily Thornberry asked about Islington Council's role. The Minister responded that "we need them to rise to the challenge and do their bit to deliver the homes that their communities need."

Emily has today written to the leader of Islington Council, Lib Dem James Kempton, asking him to rise to the challenge. She has offered to work together for the sake of the 13,000 families on the council's waiting list.

Emily said:

"The Government has put forward billions more pounds for building affordable rented homes through councils and housing associations. It is now up to Islington Council to respond by making sure the thousands of new affordable rented homes we need to meet a crisis of this scale become a reality. That is what I am asking them to do."

Editors Notes:

• The Housing Minister Yvette Cooper has announced a target of 3 million new homes by 2020, and 45,000 new socially rented homes per year by 2010-11.
• The social housing grant which funds the building of socially rented homes is set to rise by £2.5billion to £8billion.
• Under proposals in the Green Paper on Housing, councils are given a range of options and powers they can use to build more homes. For more details visit http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511890
• Islington Council has built 813 "affordable homes" in 2007, though only a third, 265 homes, have been affordable rented (i.e. council or housing association) homes. The rest include intermediate homes, which can rent for up to £180/wk for a one-bed flat.
• Islington Council is planning to spend money from the sell-off of 220 local shops and community centres to build approximately 80 new homes. The waiting list for housing in Islington is over 13,000.