A decent home is a basic right. But, as we know, providing one is tough.
In Portsmouth, the housing market has failed. Being Britain’s only island city and the third most densely populated part of the country means space is at a premium.
Between February 2020 and November 2022, the number of properties to rent fell by 45 per cent, while average rents increased 55 per cent.
In 2022, house prices rose by more than the average for the South East while wages did not.
We resolved to change all this, using the old liberal principles of treating people as individuals and putting them at the heart of what we do.
Our first plank was more homes people can afford. For many, that means a council home. The previous administration left us no plan to build them. We set one up: 750 homes have been or will be built, with more to come.
We set up Britain’s biggest council-funded programme of buying back Right to Buy homes. The £100 million, five-year scheme has delivered more than 550 homes so far, with another 100 in the pipeline.
We also encouraged housing associations to help us. A former prison designated for private flats now has two-thirds social homes, most at social rent levels.
The second plank was homelessness. One team deals with statutory homeless and rough sleepers and, by the end of the year, we will have one strategy for both.
We bought three ex-student blocks to give rough sleepers safe, secure accommodation. We are now using some of the ‘buy-back’ homes to get people out of B&B accommodation.
We have a dedicated team enabling homeless people to access the private rented sector – the fastest way of getting a home in Portsmouth.
But the most important aspect was changing the approach.
Instead of demonisation, every homeless person is treated as an individual, with a tailored approach. The multi-agency, cross-party group that oversees what we do has bought into that and the service is better too.
- Cllr Sanders will be discussing council housing at an LGA debate at the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference on 24 September.