6,000 chase 560 one-bed homes

OLDHAM MP Michael Meacher has called for the Government to re-think its controversial bedroom tax.

Figures showed almost 6,000 local people are looking for a one-bedroom property - of which only 560 became vacant last year.

The “stark” figures mean just one in 10 people will find a suitable home if the turnover this year is similar.

Mr Meacher said the figures highlight how “desperate” the situation has become.

First Choice Homes Oldham manages around 12,000 properties accommodating 25,000 people - more than 10 per cent of the borough’s population.

There are 10,874 families on the housing waiting list, of which 5,829 people want one-bedroom accommodation.

Mr Meacher said: “The number of people on the housing waiting list has gone up and I was recently told it was about 8,500. The number will include families, so the figure could be as high as 15,000 individuals.

What is utterly monstrous is that Chancellor George Osborne is spending £130 billion to provide a mortgage subsidy to help people buy homes up to £600,000 but there is no increase in house building. Everyone knows this is a subsidy to rich people; prices will go up, making it harder for people to get on the ladder.”

Mr Meacher said a publicly-funded house building scheme would create much-needed properties and get the economy moving by creating a large number of jobs.