That we are in the grip of a housing crisis is indisputable. With deep spending cuts to local councils and yet more regressive housing policies from government, it can be difficult to see any hope of tackling this crisis. But that is exactly what Labour must do in local government. Making sure that everyone has a decent home to live and raise a family in goes to the core of our values as a Labour party. Unless we build many more homes our residents will be left on the waiting list, in overcrowded homes with no prospect of a decent and dignified life for themselves or their children.
In Southwark this is exactly why we as Labour councillors are taking action. We know that the only way to help our residents find a new home is to get as many new homes built as possible, and we have a strong record of delivering new affordable homes, with the second best record since 2010 across the country. We know that our residents want us to build council homes again as well, which is why at last year’s local elections we promised to start and deliver the largest council homebuilding programme in the country.
Southwark’s Labour council will build 11,000 new council homes by 2043, with the first 1,500 built by the end of 2018. The first homes of this programme are now nearly complete in Bermondsey, with over 130 council homes currently on-site across our borough. We have been able to do this by using our existing resources more effectively and by making the most of new developments taking place in our borough. The new rental income from these homes will enable us to build more homes in the future, in addition to some borrowing against future revenues from these homes.
We are also using our land more effectively to secure new council homes. At our last cabinet meeting we agreed a programme to build at least 1,500 homes of all kinds on 20 sites across our borough. A third of these will be new council homes, a third will be discounted rent homes for key workers, and the final third will be sold privately to cross-subside the council and key worker homes. This means we will deliver at least 500 new council homes and 500 key worker homes at no net cost to the council. We will also ensure that all workers on these sites are paid at least the London living wage, that local apprenticeships are provided, and that no blacklisting firms are used. This is the difference Labour can make in power.
By being creative we can achieve progressive ends for the people we are elected to represent. However, these gains are at risk from this Conservative government which seems intent on ending social housing as we know it. We all need to pull together and get Labour elected at every level of government to fight against this agenda. The first step in our part of the country is campaigning side by side with Sadiq Khan, because we need a London mayor who is committed to social housing.
The housing market and the way in which new homes are built is broken. As a country the only time we have built enough homes is when both the public and private sectors have been building in volume. The Tories are clearly not going to solve this problem. It is therefore down to us as the Labour party to come forward with the solutions to fix this mess. Learning from what Labour councils are achieving across the country is a good place to start.
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Mark Williams is cabinet member for regeneration and new homes on the London borough of Southwark. He tweets @MarkWilliams84
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About 50% of the privately owned properties in my area have got roof extensions.
We should consider adding extra stories to low-rise blocks of flats, using prefabricated techniques to reduce costs, and add extra council homes out of thin air.