Islington Tribune - News: Lib Dems defend record as Labour demand housing rethink

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Islington Tribune - by MARK BLUNDEN
Published: 3 August 2007

Labour politicians on the town hall steps urge a policy to reduce the 13,000 waiting list

Lib Dems defend record as Labour demand housing rethink

THE construction of new council homes looks set to be the crunch election issue with both Labour and the Lib Dems this week vying for the crown of champion of affordable housing.
On Friday, residents and Labour politicians – including Islington’s MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Emily Thornberry – protested at the town hall, urging Islington’s ruling Liberal Democrats to build more affordable homes.
The Lib Dems countered that they will, as revealed in the Tribune earlier this year, start a homebuilding programme by Christmas.
They are pressing ahead with the programme without a penny of government money, instead using millions made from the controversial sell-off of the council’s commercial property portfolio.
Another sticking point is the amount of affordable housing that private developers provide. The current rule is that any projects of more than 10 units must have a 50 per cent element of affordable housing.
Labour want all developments – regardless of their size – to be half affordable.
There are around 13,000 people on Islington’s council housing waiting list.
Councillor Terry Stacy, the Lib Dem housing chief, has accused the opposition of “pie in the sky economics” saying they “haven’t properly researched” the matter.
He claims developers would be put off investing in Islington if the threshold was any lower. Cllr Stacy said that in the past year Islington has built 800 affordable housing units – far more than neighbouring boroughs.
Last week, the government announced an extra £2.5 billion to fund new council or housing association homes across England.
Emily Thornberry said: “Islington Council needs to work with the government and use the money on offer to build homes now.”

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