People deserve better: Northumberland needs homes argues Joe Morris

As winter bites, bringing with it rain, wind, storms and inevitably snow and ice millions of individuals are homeless, living in houses with insecure tenancies and struggling with poor quality accommodation. Stuck in rented accommodation families worry that if they complain they may be evicted – like 130 families in Northumberland this year. For many the dream of home ownership is just that: a dream. The Tories’ mortgage penalty has seen interest rates skyrocket, pushing mortgages beyond the affordability of many and adding thousands to homeowners’ monthly outgoings. Recently a man was so despairing of ever being able to afford a home in the UK he bought on Ebay a dilapidated house in Bulgaria for £3000. There is a housing crisis right here in Britain.

In 2021 the Conservatives promised to build 300,000 new homes a year by 2025 but they have failed to deliver on this commitment. Housebuilders in the UK own over a million building plots, but those same housebuilders are failing to build homes. This year it’s predicted that the number of new homes will fall by 25%. Yet the Tory Party continues to take millions of pounds in donations from property developers, real-estate fat cats and the construction industry.

Labour knows that safe, secure homes are vital to the wellbeing and security of our families. That’s why Labour have pledged to build 1.5 million homes and get Britain building again.

Our Parliamentary Candidate Joe Morris has spoken out about Northumberland’s need for homes:

Labour is now the party of aspiration. Northumberland needs homes. We need places for young people to raise families, for people to live their lives in. We’ve had thirteen years of failure on housebuilding from the Conservatives across the UK – and people across Northumberland have paid the price.

We need affordable homes that don’t price out local people, that mean security for young families and allow our local businesses to have confidence that there will be enough local demand for jobs, goods and services. Some of those homes need to be for affordable rent as well.

In the town of Hexham itself, Hexham Community Led-Housing, using two housing need surveys have shown the extraordinarily high demand for affordable housing of all types in Hexham. In 2016, the town needed an additional 340 affordable homes. Only 34 were built in the five years after. That
is simply unacceptable.

Labour would ensure priority for first time buyers; supporting younger people to buy in new housing developments with a government-backed mortgage guarantee scheme. That doesn’t mean sprawling developments in Tynedale and Ponteland. It means developments of homes that meet the needs of local people, that are insulated properly and fit for the future. We’d work with local communities to identify where housing is needed and provide the infrastructure to support it.

This constituency is truly beautiful, and as your MP I would protect and enhance genuine green spaces. I would oppose plans to build on genuine nature spots. But we have a housing crisis in this country. The only way to tackle it is to address the anaemic housebuilding record of this Government. We need to lay out a path to home ownership for the next generation – it’s why Labour is the party of opportunity and aspiration at the next election.

Right across Hexham Constituency Labour Party members are working to Build a Better Britain and get Guy Opperman out after 13 disastrous years of Conservative government.

If you’d like to get involved please consider joining the party or making a donation.