Housing demand far exceeds property available in Dewsbury
August 25, 2006 6:47 PM
Liberal Democrat Councillor Dennis Hullock (Dewsbury East) has written to the Chief Executive of Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing expressing concern at the huge waiting list of people needing homes in Dewsbury.
"The figures show that there were 905 people on the housing register waiting for a property to come empty in Dewsbury" says Councillor Hullock. "There were only 480 vacant properties for people apply for. This leaves a massive mismatch with people not able to get a property to rent. Of the empty private properties only 9 in the Dewsbury area were brought back into use. The Council must do more to bring empty and abandoned houses back into use. They have the power to use Empty Homes management Orders to get properties fit to live in. They should use it."
"The pressure for rented housing in Dewsbury is piling up with many people camping with relatives as they wait for a property to become empty or they are being forced into poor quality housing in the private sector. The Council must be much more proactive."
"What is also worrying is that there 221 households that are officially homeless, a further 85 that are in temporary accommodation waiting to be assessed and 177 homeless households staying with friends or relatives hoping that the Council can find them some suitable accommodation" says Councillor Hullock. "This is a large number of people in fairly desperate straits in our district."
"The government must do more to allow local authorities and housing associations to build cheaper homes for people to rent. Failed housing policies of have meant that there is a chronic shortage of homes to rent making life enormously difficult for people who will never be able to buy."
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