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Labour slams PM and housing minister over rents pledge
The Labour Party has questioned the prime minister’s grasp of housing policy, following comments about social housing rent levels by the housing minister.
In an exclusive interview with Inside Housing housing minister Gavin Barwell said that rents for a “new generation of homes for social rent” pledged by Theresa May would be “what you’d call affordable rents”.
Affordable rents can be up to 80% of market levels, while social rents are typically far lower.
“This is another policy pledge from the prime minister that has fallen apart,” said Labour’s shadow housing minster John Healey.
“The housing minister has now contradicted Theresa May’s only housing announcement of this election campaign. She promised that the Conservatives would build new homes for ‘social rent’, he has confirmed they will not.
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“The prime minister now urgently needs to level with the public. Either her housing minister is wrong about Conservative housing policy or she is. Which is it?”
Rents set at 80% of market levels would vary sharply across England. The latest Valuation Office Agency figures show the median monthly rent as £1,473 in London and £480 in the North East. The South East had the second highest median monthly rent, at £850.
“If it is true that what was promised as a new generation of social rents is in fact not a pledge tobuild truly affordable rented homes this is extremely disappointing,” said Terrie Alafat, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing. “In reality affordable rents are often out of reach to a significant proportion of the population.”
