Leave our homes alone plea

The new coalition Government must not use affordable housing as an easy budget cut, according to an Oldham housing association.

A group of 21 leading housing associations including Plumlife, part of Manchester-based Great Places Housing Group which has 1,000 homes in Oldham, has written to the new Housing Minister, Grant Shapps.

They are urging him to avoid cutting back affordable home ownership programmes.

Last year in Oldham, only 48 new affordable homes were built, despite 8,634 households being on the social housing waiting list. The 21 housing associations argue that new housing is in such short supply that the Government must continue to fund shared ownership housing.

Nationally, they say only 118,000 new homes were built in England, but new households are forming at an average of 252,000 a year — more than double the supply figure. Matthew Harrison, deputy chief executive of Plumlife, said: “Under shared ownership, people can buy as little as 25 per cent of the value of the property at first, adding to their stake as they can afford to.

“We welcome the Government’s intention to promote shared ownership schemes. But the real test is how much funding shared ownership programmes receive when national housing funding is decided for 2011/14 later this year.

“If housing supply becomes an easy cut we will all be living with the consequences for many years to come.”