Give People Homes!
The Government don't build new council houses because there are so many vested interests in private property. Banks have lent huge amounts for investors to buy overpriced properties as investments. Landlords have created huge property portfolios based on rental incomes that will pay their extended mortgages.
Property forty years ago was affordable to working class people now no one on a minimum wage can buy a house.
The downside to a new council house program is that Housing Associations would no longer be able to pay large incomes to their directors, house owners would have to consider their houses as homes to live in rather than investments and the price of property would fall. None of the above are people on the minimum wage. None of the above have to worry every month about food, rent, council tax, heating, water, transport to school, children's clothes and basic survival.
The nation needs a new council house building program in line with the new suburbs that were built following WW1 and WW2. The 'underclass' need decent homes in order to have some stability and dignity. When people feel safe and have pride in their homes they turn to higher ambitions like education and public service; they build communities - they care!
The money must be borrowed and invested in property. This is not wasted money this is invested money. Housing stock will always have value if it is maintained. Rents must be set at a level that recognises the income of people on less than £10 per hour so that they have some quality of life.
When officials talk about 'affordable housing' they are spouting illiterate drivel. The concept of 'affordable' is meaningless and deceitful.
Call me an 'Old Socialist' and you would be right. The 'underclass' of the UK are being kept in poverty by the 'superclass'. Cheap labour and lack of public housing for the poor is making property owners richer.
It's time for the superclass to take it on the chin and accept that their increasing wealth makes others homeless.
The gap between rich and poor grows wider every day. While people sleep on the streets others pay a £1000 for a bottle of wine!
(c) Robin Horsfall 2018
