Update from The Leader of the Council, Louise McKinlay
The front page of the Gazette this week talks about the “appalling” increase in the council housing waiting list.
Whilst providing some figures, it fails to include some of the facts around the situation to give a complete picture. So, for those interested, I’ll outline them for you:
Firsty, at present, anyone can apply for the housing list. Yes, that is right – anyone. From an impoverished young family through to a multi-millionaire. If you want a Council house, you can put yourself on the waiting list.
Secondly, it doesn’t matter where you live. So, a young impoverished family living in Brentwood or a multi-millionaire based up in the North of England could apply to Brentwood’s housing waiting list.
Thirdly, you can apply for a “tenancy for life” whereby you remain in the Council property, regardless of changes to your personal income. ( Think Bob Crowe – who earns a six figures salary but lives in a taxpayer subsidised Council property) So, the individual or young family who needs support now but may not do in 10 years time, will still be able to remain in the house.
When you put all of this together and consider what Brentwood has going for it: Good schools, great commuter links, high employment chances and green open spaces, it’s not hard to see why people want to come and live here.
Only this morning, I received correspondence from a resident in Dagenham asking for a house in Brentwood, whilst outlining all the reasons why it would be good to live here.
What we need is a policy that allows those in genuine need to be supported at a time when they cannot house themselves. It should also focus on those who particularly have a link with Brentwood.
The new policies discussed at last night’s Housing Panel and which are currently out to consultation, promote just that – fixed term tenancies, which will be reviewed every 5 years, which, will focus on those who don’t have the means to pay and accommodate themselves privately. If someone has no link to our Borough and / or could support themselves privately, why should the Brentwood taxpayer pick up the bill for them and why should they be housed at the expense of another vulnerable individual or family, in genuine need of state support?
It is not only morally right for Brentwood Council to implement the changes but also a common sense approach too and one which is only possible now, thanks to the changes the government has brought in, which allow us to do it. The new rules will do more to protect the vulnerable than the exisiting situation does and will ensure that Council resources are targetted to those most in need.
When you see these facts, it kind of puts the “appalling” figures in to context!