Colchester City Council has called on the government to act swiftly on its housing promises. Following a motion unanimously agreed in full Council and approved by Cabinet at its meeting on 4 September 2024, the council has written to the Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government.
The letter emphasises the acute housing crisis and the growing challenges faced by renters, homeless families, and local authorities responsible for housing. With mortgage and rent costs at an all-time high and a significant shortage of social housing, the council warns that hundreds are being pushed into temporary accommodation or left on the streets each year. It’s calling on the government to take the following actions:
- Resurrect the Renters Reform Bill: End no-fault evictions and extend the eviction notice period for tenants from two months to four months.
- Address Council Housing Stock and Finances: Work with the All-Party Parliamentary Group Inquiry to ease the financial burden on local authorities, allowing them to reinvest in housing while managing the rising costs of regulation, repairs, and environmental modernisation.
- Support for Homelessness Prevention: Increase assistance to councils to manage the growing demands and costs of preventing homelessness.
- Realign Housing Benefit with Current Rent Levels: Bring housing benefit subsidies back in line with accommodation costs to ensure affordable rents for the most vulnerable.
- Moratorium on Right to Buy: Freeze the Right to Buy scheme to alleviate pressure on council housing stocks and allow councils to retain full sale receipts for reinvestment in social housing.
Cllr David King, Leader of Colchester City Council, said: “We welcome promises of reform and ask the new government to act on our, or similar calls for action. We will play our part, supportive of their growth and housing aims. But we need infrastructure support, and for the government to make it viable for us to improve our housing stock and to also provide yet more affordable homes.”
Colchester City Council has also committed to working closely with neighbouring authorities and local MPs, including Pam Cox, Sir Bernard Jenkin, and Priti Patel, to ensure housing remains a priority issue for the region. The council’s message is clear: housing is at the forefront of local concerns, and immediate government action is needed.
Page last reviewed: 19 September 2024