Liberal Democrats Demand More Social Housing

12.00.00am GMT Tue 23rd Jan 2007

Milton Keynes Liberal Democrats are very concerned that the Labour Government's proposal to merge the Housing Corporation with English Partnerships into a single agency to deliver new homes may not provide enough social housing.

Jill Hope, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Milton Keynes North said: "The key test for this new quango will be whether it does anything practical to help provide more social housing in Milton Keynes. Milton Keynes Council is now a Regional Homelessness Champion because of the good work led by my colleague Irene Henderson, the Liberal Democrat cabinet member for social care, housing and health.

"Through hard work and determination the Liberal Democrat-run Council has succeeded in:

• reducing homelessness

• halving the numbers of people in temporary accommodation

• reducing the number of families and time spent in bed and breakfast accommodation.

"The Council will continue to put care for the more vulnerable members of society high on its list of priorities, despite pressure from housing developers who just want to build expensive executive homes.

"But unless the Government puts more money into social rented housing, all this hard work will be wasted. This new body must take action on social housing."