Monday 23 July 2012

PRESS RELEASE 'Right to buy? Wrong to sell!' say Greens



The Green Party today condemned the Lib Dem/Conservative Coalition for subsidising and promoting the sale of valuable council housing through the 'Right to Buy' mechanism.

"At a time when public money is being made scarce by the government it beggars belief that the Coalition are increasing the subsidy on the sale of Council Housing to up to £75000. At a time when we need more social housing to give people an option to have an affordable home to rent it is crazy that we are selling off into private ownership much valued public assets." Said Councillor Andrew Cooper , Chair of the Association of Green Councillors

"What is bizarre is that the government supposedly believes in 'choice' in education and in the provision of health care. Though the Green Party does not share the coalitions enthusiasm for the privatisation of health and education it would at least be consistent if they also promoted choice in tenure of housing. The coalition seems to believe that owner occupation or private renting are the only options that should be available to households. One of the fundamental lessons the economic crisis we are facing should teach us is that saddling households with years of mortgage debt they cannot afford is nonsensical" , said Councillor Cooper

The Greens also accused the Coalition of hypocrisy by spending public money on a 'national helpline' for providing information about the sale of council houses when that service is already provided by Councils. "This is a duplication of an existing function and another waste of public money by a government that is imposing austerity on the public sector."

Councillor Cooper also highlighted the possibility of abuse of the Right to Buy mechanism for personal gain by

"The sale of council housing has been and is open to widescale abuse with relatives of tenants and unscrupulous individuals seeking to purchase council houses through the tenants 'by the back door'. These can then be sold on at a profit and therefore at the expense of the public purse," said Councillor Cooper

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