Jeremy Corbyn to join housing march Sunday 13th March
Thousands of people from across the country will march
Jeremy Corbyn
Thousands of people from across the country will march on Parliament to oppose the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill and demand: secure homes for all, rent controls, and homes for people not for profit. Campaigners say the Bill, which is currently in the House of Lords, threatens to make the UK’s housing crisis much worse, send rent and house prices soaring and spells the end of council and social housing. Jeremy Corbyn will join the marchers.
People are desperate
John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, said:“People are desperate for a stable and decent home they can actually afford to live in but the Tories Housing Bill will make the housing crisis drastically worse. Labour is opposing it in Parliament but I’m also opposing it outside Parliament by supporting the Kill the Housing Bill demonstration on the 13th March. Millions of people across the country are struggling to afford to rent or buy a home but the Government is callous in its disregard for people's right to secure themselves the right to a decent home. This bill demonstrates the worst attack on social housing provision seen in decades. It will result in more genuinely affordable social housing units being sold off which is scandalous when we have such a severe housing crisis on our hands. Under this Tory Government homelessness is already sharply on the rise and thousands are being socially cleansed from our cities”.
John Mcdonnell
The Tories’ Housing Bill aims to destroy council housing, and will hit everyone on low or middle incomes trying to rent or buy. It condemns millions to a lifetime of insecure, expensive private renting. Everyone deserves a decent home, but landlords, developers and the rich will be the only ones to benefit from this Bill.
The proposed legislation:
Forces local authorities to sell ‘high value’ properties on the private market when they become empty – the biggest council housing sell-off in generations.
Abolishes new secure lifetime tenancies in council housing, replacing them with 2 – 5 year tenancies.
Hits social tenants with a combined income of £30,000 (£40,000 in London) or more with a ‘pay to stay’ tax, to bring their rent up to market levels – an up to 400% increase.
Deregualtes housing associations allowing them to sell off stock or let social rented homes at market rent without seeking consent.
Does nothing to address the housing crisis, and instead replaces obligations to build social housing with Cameron’s unaffordable ‘starter homes’ - requiring an annual income of £70,000 in London.
Branch members have been camapigning against the bill. Last week alone, branch chair Paul Kershaw spoke at public meetings called by Unite Community in Ealing and Great Yarmouth.
For full march details visit our events page.
Paul Kershaw