Alison Seabeck MP presses minister for housing support

Alison Seabeck, MP for Plymouth Moor View, has, on the back of yesterday’s Autumn Statement, written to the Housing Minister, Kris Hopkins seeking clarification of the announcement that local authorities will be able to unlock loans to enable housing building.

Plymouth has a very well planned scheme for housing and the Labour Council put forward a ’Yes to Homes’ proposal which did receive support from across the political parties.   

Alison Seabeck said, “I want to be clear what is on offer because the further selling off of expensive social housing, as proposed by the Government, is a nonsense in Plymouth.   The current ‘Right to Buy Scheme’ nationally is resulting in 5 homes being sold for every one being built.  The Chancellor’s idea that they will sell off the expensive social housing is also not a runner because, if he understood anything about the Right to Buy scheme, he would know that the properties which have sold since the scheme was introduced are the expensive ones.”  

“What we need in Plymouth is assistance from the Government over the release of public sector, government owned land, and the power to identify new funding mechanisms and that is why I have written to the Minister to press him on these important questions.  With so many families on the waiting list there is a very clear need for homes which meet the needs of Plymothians.”