Lib Dems call for changes to tackle housing crisis

In Kirklees there are more than 6,500 people on the council’s housing waiting list and councillors say there are just not enough properties to meet the demand.

Last week The Yorkshire Post revealed that there are 236,105 households in the Yorkshire region on local authority housing waiting lists as house prices rapidly outstrip average earnings.

Liberal Democrats on Labour-run Kirklees Council want money collected from rents to support construction projects with partner organisations.

They have also called for money raised from Right to Buy tenants to part fund the repurchase of former Right to Buy council properties.

Lib Dem Councillor Cahal Burke, who represents Lindley in Huddersfield, said there was a real opportunity for councils to start building the kind of homes that communities need.

“We need homes in Kirklees that actually meet the needs of our communities,” he said.

“With 6580 people on the waiting list (in Kirklees) and it becoming harder and harder to buy your own home, there is real need for decent homes of the right size which people can afford to rent.

“One of the ways the council could do this is by using surplus rental income from existing council homes to release up to £45m of funding at no additional cost to the council tax payers.

“Working with third parties, such as Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing or social landlords, who we would expect to at least match any funding from the council, there is a real opportunity to start building some the homes our communities need.

“There are also other methods open to council’s wanting to build, such as using Right to Buy Receipts to buy back former Right-to-Buy properties and income from the New Homes Bonus.”