Building homes for private sale does not address the housing crisis
- Croydon has 4,500 households on the waiting list for council homes
- More than half of private tenants are dependent on housing benefit because rents have soared
- Almost 1,000 families were made homeless last year as a result of unaffordable private rents
- The number of empty homes in Croydon has risen by 400 per cent since 2013
- House prices have rocketed, putting them beyond the reach of most local Croydon residents.
Against this background, the Croydon Assembly is staging what it calls an emergency meeting at Ruskin House on October 18 entitled “Wanted: policies for a housing emergency”.
Organiser Ted Knight says, “Croydon Council claims it’s doing its best. But too many council schemes seem to favour private developers. And through its housing development company, Brick By Brick, the council is acting like the developers in imposing new schemes on estates while ignoring residents’ views.
“Meanwhile, Tory attacks on welfare add to housing misery.
“As for private landlords, they are out of reach and out of control.”
Knight says that the Assembly meeting is seeking policy ideas ahead of next May’s local elections. “Tell us what policies councillors should back at next May’s election,” he says. “We will then campaign with you to get support for your ideas.”
The event starts at 7.30pm on Wednesday, October 18, at Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Road, Croydon CRO 1BD.
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