Manchester Housing Crisis Grows

10.12.26pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 9th Aug 2006

Councillor Ramsbottom wants action on Manchester's growing Housing Crisis

The waiting list for Council and Housing Association property in Manchester is getting longer and longer, according to recent figures released by Manchester Housing Department. Over 30,000 people are waiting for a Council house or housing association property in Manchester at the end of June 2006 with over third of those waiting for homes in East Manchester alone. With so many people now on the waiting list, waiting times are also growing. In the same figures, 50% of families are waiting over a year before being offered a home.

Liberal Democrat Executive Councillor Marc Ramsbottom says that there is real crisis and a lack of affordable homes in Manchester:

"We know that as few as 197 new homes were built by housing associations in the first half of this year. That is nowhere near enough to met the growing demand for homes on many parts of Manchester."

He added:

"The lack of affordable homes to rent is major problem for many families. Many people are waiting years be rehoused, sometimes in the most desperate circumstances, but there are simply not the homes available to rent like there used to be. More people are buying their Council home, and the Council are not building any new homes for rent to keep pace with the growing demand".

Cllr Ramsbottom has accused the City Council of complacency, and of forcing people to live in overcrowded conditions and splitting up families because they do not have a house in which to live. He concluded:

"I raised the need for more Council homes to be built nearly 5 years ago, and this was rejected by Town Hall bosses. Now we have a housing crisis that is only going to get worse."

End

Notes:

1) Figures released by Manchester Housing as at 30 June 2006.

2) Full figures available on request.