The current Labour Leader in Birmingham has presided over a period of decline in which our housing stock has gone backwards rather than forwards.
The Conservative-led Council had housing stock at 99% compliant with the "Decent Homes" standard by 2012. It has now dropped under Labour to around 60%. Additionally, the EPC rating of 68% of social housing is a D or worse!
Labour's failure to tackle the issue means many residents are living in homes that are damp, cold and poorly insulated. The situation is particularly bad in the winter months when there are more people living in temporary accommodation.
Housing is a critical part of our communities and a key determinant of people's quality of life. For example, it impacts health and well-being as well as employment opportunities.
The Conservatives have been pushing the Council to take action on the scandal of poorly run social housing & exempted accommodation. Calling for Government to get tough on rogue landlords who don't meet basic standards like heating and safety regulations.
There are countless examples of social housing & exempt accommodation that no parent would want their child to live in. These properties are not only riddled with black mould & dampness but also plagued by an infestation of vermin such as rats and mice. This causes no end of health problems, particularly in young children.
A recent report by the BBC highlighted how young children are being put at risk by the state of their social housing. The report found that nearly half of the UK’s council houses are unfit for human habitation, with some having faulty wiring and gas heating systems which may not be safe. It is estimated that one million homes in Britain fall into this category. In Birmingham, the figure is 39% of all social housing.
The Latest development is that a family of 6 have been kicked off of the housing list, and told the Council has no obligation to them after offering to move them into a mould-ridden, damp house with parts of the floor missing.
Cllr Ewan Mackey, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group said,
"This council's attitude towards this issue is quite appalling. My heart goes out to the family. I find it hard to believe a family of six were offered a house in such a terrible state. For the labour administration to then double down and remove this family in need from the housing list is a complete dereliction of the care it owes to those who come to it for help.
There is no accountability or plan to tackle the problem; there is so much more the council should be doing. Telling people to open their windows to remove moisture-laden air from their rooms isn’t good enough. The council has a responsibility to resolve the intrinsic flaws in its housing stock that causes this issue to arise, it is not the fault of the residents, and it needs addressing. I would have the utmost sympathy with this family if they declared Birmingham City Council the biggest slum landlord in the city right now."
It has now been revealed at Full Council on the 6th of December, that Birmingham City Council has paid £230,494 to those making social care & housing complaints.
Cllr Ken Wood, Shadow Cabinet Member for Homes & Homelessness said,
"This is clearly the result of failings right across the service, from the handling of applications to issuing contracts to repair and maintain the Council's social housing stock. Despite the influx of overly expensive consultants to point out This Labour administration's incompetency, there has been no improvement to my mind.
You cannot help but be alarmed at the level of pay-outs over the last 2 years, which shows things are getting worse! This could very well be the tip of the iceberg. We have to ask ourselves, how many of Birmingham City Council's residents just suffer in silence?"
