Liberal Democrats Set Out Plans To Build A Million New Affordable Homes By 2020

6.44.26pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 19th Jul 2007

The Liberal Democrats want to build a million new affordable, social and low cost homes nationwide by 2020.

Cllr David Morson has welcomed the publication of radical proposals by the Liberal Democrats to tackle the severe shortage of affordable and social housing.

David said: "There are a 1,208 people on council waiting lists in Uttlesford, yet fewer and fewer social rented homes are being built. The number nationally has halved since Labour came to power.

"Meanwhile, houses to buy are getting ever less affordable. House prices here in Uttlesford grew by 2.8% in 2006 while earnings grew by just 2.4%. An average house now costs nearly NINE times average earnings in our area. There's no way most young people, even many young couples, can afford that. Many local young people are being left stranded, unable to afford to get even a foot on the housing ladder as prices soar further and further out of their reach.

"These new proposals from the Liberal Democrats respond to both these problems. They would deliver the UK's most ambitious home-building programme in over a quarter of a century: 100,000 new social, low cost and affordable houses every year for 10 years to benefit those in housing need.

"This is the housing revolution that people in Uttlesford desperately need."