How to halve council house waiting lists

Rochdale's council housing waiting list could be halved if the Government built on unused land it owned and empty houses were brought back into use, according to the Lib Dems.

The number of families languishing on council house waiting lists in Rochdale has soared between 1997 and 2008.

At the party conference in Bournemouth, the Liberal Democrats used the figures to accuse Labour of failing vulnerable families as the party sets out its own proposals to tackle the problem.

Lib Dem Shadow Housing Minister Sarah Teather said: “Labour should be ashamed that waiting lists have as much as doubled in some areas. It is a disgrace that so many families are forced to wait for social housing while so many potentially good homes lie unoccupied.

“With many fighting against repossession, we urgently need to replenish stocks of social housing.

“Allowing councils and housing associations to take out low-cost loans to buy empty houses for use as social housing would given new hope to the millions still on waiting lists.”

The party wants 800,000 empty houses, including 138,000 in the North-West, to be brought into use, and for the Government to build new housing on all surplus land it owns, which could house 100,000 families.

The party claims its proposals would provide 930,000 extra homes — which would halve the current 1.77 million families on council housing waiting lists in England.

Long-term empty homes could also be offered at a discount price to first-time buyers who would then bring them up to scratch.

It would mean that streets currently in decline could be regenerated and buyers get an affordable property, said Ms Tether.

The Lib Dems also called for Labour MPs to oppose proposals by Gordon Brown to reduce housing benefit of some claimants by £15 a week.

Ms Teather said: “I will fight this proposal when parliament returns in October and I hope that every Labour MP who still has a conscience will join me.

“If they really care about the least wealthy in our society then now is the time to show it. Stand up against Gordon Brown, remember who elected you, and stand with us to defeat this assault on the poor.”

Nationally numbers on council housing waiting lists have increased from 1 million in 1997 to 1.7 million in 2008.