Greens welcome housing powers
Greens have welcomed news that the Assembly is to be given powers to suspend the right to buy Council houses, but say that government investment in new housing is needed.
The legislation, soon to receive royal assent will allow the Welsh Government to suspend the right to buy, which has decimated Wales' stock of affordable housing since being introduced by the Thatcher government.
Jake Griffiths, Leader commented: "This is in an important step that will give the Assembly powers to stop stock of affordable housing declining further, and is to be welcomed. However, this will not solve the problem on its own. What is needed is for government to start investing again in affordable housing, provided both directly by Councils and tenant-owned housing associations.
Not only will this provide thousands more affordable homes at a time when people are struggling with mortgage payments and risk repossession, it will create jobs in the depressed construction industry which can help kick-start the economy."
He concluded:
"The ConDem government keeps insisting that the deficit is the biggest threat to the economy and that savage cuts to public services are inevitable, when the complete opposite is the case. Ireland, who followed the austerity "shock-treatment" to the letter has just had its debt downgraded by rating agencies, and investors are in fact becoming worried that cuts here will damage the recovery.
The only real way to get the economy moving is government investment to create more jobs and boost tax revenue. The Coalition's cuts will cost jobs and make the problem worse.
ENDS
For more information contact Sam Coates 075 3157 0056 or s.coates1@googlemail.com
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