Green councillors call for a halt to proposals by Brighton and Hove City Council to remove over 15,000 people from its waiting list for council housing.
Greens say that proposals have been rushed through following a poor consultation that has failed to properly engage with tenants living in council housing, and are calling for further scrutiny of the plans.
Green councillor and spokesperson for housing, David Gibson said: “These proposals constitute the biggest shake up of the way council housing is allocated in the city in decades, yet it is being rushed through after a shoddy and limited “consultation”. Councillors are being asked to sign-off on proposals that haven’t been subject to any real democratic oversight.
“Despite hearing from estate agents and home-owners in abundance, the Council has completely failed to consult with tenants groups, many of whose members are currently on the housing list or have gone through the process of being allocated housing. It is scandalous that these groups have been ignored, and that’s why we’re calling for a halt to the plans to allow for further consultation and proper scrutiny.
“While we support the idea of reducing the housing list so that those accepted onto it have a realistic chance of being housed, it is vital that in removing over 15,000 people we do this in the fairest way possible. At the same time, we must also start really pushing the Government to give us the resources we need to build more truly affordable council homes”.
Daniel Harris founder of the Emergency & Temporary Housing Residents Action Group, ETHRAG, said: “We are concerned with the current number of hidden homeless LGBT people off the radar and often living on friends sofas because of the current need for housing, this new policy looks set to exclude vulnerable LGBT people who are often attracted to Brighton and Hove from Council Literature promoting out LGBT values. We feel that there needs to be safeguards in place for LGBT people, who are often forgotten but still a marginalised minority group while recent hate crimes locally should make the council think twice.”