Tackling Herefordshire's Affordable Housing Crisis

10.48.37pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 6th Aug 2007

The housing system is in crisis. House prices have trebled over the last decade - many young Herefordians cannot afford to stay in Herefordshire and live near their families. More than 4000 people languish on the social housing waiting list in Herefordshire; many will never reach the front of the queue.

The costs of this are borne by all of us: through higher taxes to cover the spiralling housing benefit bill, through higher interest rates weighing down on borrowers and stifling the economy and through loosing our young people from the county.

The cause of this problem is clear: demand is outpacing supply. The solution is to build more affordable decent homes - which stay affordable. I strongly support the campaign spearheaded by Herefordshire Liberal Democrats for all new housing developments to include 50% affordable homes.

The Conservatives sold off affordable homes without replacing the stock and Labour has cut the numbers being built. The Liberal Democrats are determined to help existing tenants and create new opportunities for local people to afford their first home. The Liberal Democrats would also invest in more shared ownership schemes and new mutual ownership schemes. These policies would create an intermediate housing market, bridging the gap between the rented sector and the private housing market so that local people on low incomes and first time buyers can afford to take the first step into home ownership.

Sarah Carr and Lib Dem Councillors like Heather Davies are fighting to improve our Council's approach to affordable housing

Decent housing should be a right. My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I want to meet people's aspirations to own their home whilst providing more social housing for rent.

Sarah Carr, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate