Government's bedroom tax 'could create future housing crisis'

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing

The Government's proposed ‘bedroom tax’ - currently being passed back and forth between the House of Commons and the House of Lords - could create a future housing crisis, according to a housing chief executive.

Bob Taylor, Chief Executive of Knowsley Housing Trust, fears the bedroom tax debate and wider welfare reform issues are masking the fact that the affordable housing shortage is not being addressed and the right type of homes are not being built.

Bob said: “While trying to resolve existing problems, we could be creating further problems for the future.

“It is about providing the right new homes and making the best use of existing homes so that we maximise the numbers of people who can live comfortably and acceptably in the homes available.

“A bedroom tax won’t release homes easily, and people on benefit will then find themselves worse off.

“While this is going back and forth between the House of Lords and House of Commons it is masking the real issue – the lack of affordable houses of all sizes.”

The proposed ‘bedroom tax’, which would see benefit cuts for social tenants considered to be under-occupying their homes, are designed to free up larger homes, but Bob believes this will create more problems unless there is a supply of smaller properties for people to move into.

He said: “This is likely to lead to building more of the type of homes that we probably don’t need and not enough of those that we do, such as those suitable for young singles and older people.

“We need to make sure that any money saved through welfare reform is invested in the right kinds of properties that will meet demand for affordable homes for decades to come.”