Shropshire needs more than 1,500 new homes a year to meet the soaring need for affordable housing in the county with the average price of property now more than £200,000.
Figures show someone hoping to buy their first home in the county will need to be earning between £34,000 to more than £43,000 a year. Strategies are being developed for the new unitary Shropshire Council next year to help it tackle the problem.
But Heather Kidd, an affordable housing champion for the executive overseeing the county’s transition to unitary status in April, says such strategies are useless if they do not “deliver”.
Mrs Kidd warned: “Paper on the shelf needs to be practical and usable or we will let down the people living in our communities and the drift towards creating rural deserts will continue, with villages losing there shops, schools and bus routes and the broad mix of people.
“Market towns and villages need to be kept vibrant if they are to keep their services and this will only happen if we build housing that can be bought, part bought or rented affordably in them.”
The number of people on waiting lists for affordable housing in rural areas across England has soared by more than a third during the past five years, a new report revealed last week.
Almost 700,000 people in the countryside are waiting for an affordable home, 37 per cent more than in 2003, the National Housing Federation and the Campaign to Protect Rural England says.
At the same time the proportion of homeless households in rural areas has more than doubled during the past five years, from 16 per cent of the national total in 2003 to 37 per cent now.
The groups warned that with the younger generations priced out of the market in many rural areas, communities faced an uncertain future unless action was taken to address the lack of affordable housing.
Mrs Kidd said up until very recently, affordable housing in Shropshire had been delivered by housing associations and developers. But the developers had shut up shop with the downturn in economy. Waiting lists, she said, were continuing to rise in the county.
In the South Shropshire District Council area, for example, an average of 16 new applications for homes are received each week
A 27 per cent increase has been seen in the number of applicants registered - 1,603 to 2,036 - in the 12 months up to August 31 this year.
34 Comments
Build terraced cottages on green belt - problem solved.
Report abuse
Yeah , boring old countryside. Stick some little red brick boxes all over it until it’s ruined like most of the South East (for a vision of future hell, pay a visit to Didcot….)
Report abuse
There is still plenty of affordable housing in Shropshire, the problem is people aren’t prepared to join the property ladder at the bottom. The reason that it is called a ladder is because you start at the bottom and work your way up, I’m afraid you can’t but an average house as a first time buyer.
If you can’t save £10-15k for a deposit then what chance do you have of ever paying for and furnishing your house once you get it. Stop moaning, start saving and start at the bottom. There are deals to be had!
Report abuse
We can’t even afford a two bed starter home in this area, we are completely priced out. My husband has a good, well paid job for shropshire but still we can’t buy.
Report abuse
an yet we have millions of pensioners and empty nesters living in huge uninhabited houses with high rates and energy costs = the worlds gone made - get a lodger, save the green belt!
Report abuse
Here is the solution - telford town centre is already a bit of a mess - we should build 6 skyscrapers in Telford Town centre with maybe 80 floors that makes if each floor has 4 apartments 320 apartments per skyscraper.
And if we build 6 - 6 x 320 = 1920 apartments
Problem solved and no need to build on greenbelt land.
If more are need then I suggest Shrewsbury for 6 more skycrapers followed by Newport
Report abuse
they’ve tried the skyscraper thing 50 years ago and it didn’t work then
Report abuse
Trouble with building skyscrapers in Telford Town Center is no one wants to live there! now Shrewsbury YES YES YES
Report abuse
just wait a year and bye the 150,000 home for 90,000 . they say renting is dead money, at the moment i fear owning a house is the dead money .
What goes up will come down.
The high you are , the harder the fall.
if you are looking for a home, lucky you.
if you have one , sorry.
Report abuse
poor people AGAIN, for god sake, least we forget who makes britain great, its not the undeserving homeless people, let them camp
Report abuse
I’ve got no sympathy for honeless people. I put some furniture out for a homeless charity and they said it wasn’t good enough!
Well I was going to bring it back down my drive and cut it up for firewood when people knocked on my door asking for it! I put a sign up “Free - help yourself” and it was gone in 3hrs!
So what does that say about the homeless?
Report abuse
lucy..
it says nothing about the homeless it was charity that said it was not good enough, i’d imagine the people that run the charity are infact “homed”
Fact is
The “homeless” dont have a home for your furniture.
Report abuse
Ron: The peope who run the charity are probably “homed”, but they find homes for homeless people and then provide them with furniture. My experience just sends a messaage that these homeless people wont make do and mend, but just want the best and will get it because there are always politically correct do-gooders who will hand them everything on a plate.
Its the last time I do anything for the homeless and I certainly wont buy the Big Issue. Ungrateful scroungers is what they are.
Report abuse
What about all the mentally ill homeless people out there, hardly a lifestyle choice for them.
Report abuse
So Lucy W, can I get this right?
After saying on another thread that there is no child poverty in this country, and on another one that climate change doesn’t exist, you now expect us to believe the insulting things you say about homeless people and the charities fighting their corner?
Report abuse
Huw: If you think that no having access to the internet is poverty, I suggested you visit Africa.
Re Homeless, I am merely sharing my experience.
What have you done for the homeless this week Huw?
Report abuse
I struggled for a long time to buy a house in Telford, but I really, really do wish that there was more affordable housing that I could have bought instead. But that’s only because I’m jealous of all those unfortunate people already housed by the local housing association who drive bigger, newer cars than me, have bigger, better conservatories, bigger, louder plasma televisions, more and shiner gold necklaces, more colourful and expensive tattoos and, I imagine, much more comfortable beds as they don’t seem to share my need to get out of them early in the mornings to go to work! Lovely life!
Report abuse
You asked what I have done for the homeless, Lucy?
I have worked hard this week advocating the policies of a party which is committed to AFFORDABLE HOUSING (see the Green Party website main page, top right for details).
What have you done for homeless people except insult them, Lucy?
Report abuse
Huw: thats the best laugh I have had for ages (comment 18).
well like I said, I collected some furniture that was rejected by the ungrateful a few weeks ago. Last week, I picked up several bags of clothes and bed linen dumped in a lane. I have dried it and will give it my friend who helps homeless people who are grateful for such help when they are allocated a home.
I think that beats “advocating policies” - perhaps the Star Bloggers could vote on it?
To sum you up in the words of H L Menchen “Those that can - do. Those that can’t - teach.” But perhaps “preach” may be more fitting.
Report abuse
Lucy W. (comment #13) ‘Its the last time I do anything for the homeless and I certainly wont buy the Big Issue. Ungrateful scroungers is what they are.’
Lucy W. (comment 19): ‘I have dried it and will give it my friend who helps homeless people who are grateful for such help when they are allocated a home.’
Mark Twain: ‘Always tell the truth. That way, you don’t have to remember what you said.’
Report abuse
Huw: Did it for myself - my friend has redirected some nice electrical items to me as a thank-you for my help.
Report abuse
So did you give it to your friend yesterday?
Report abuse
Huw: Will not be making a special journey. That’s not very eco-friendly is it? I would have thought you of all people would have know that! Honestly *tut*
Report abuse
Back to the subject of the thread: affordable housing….
These are the policies which the Green Party are advocating, while ‘Lucy W’ snarls out abuse.
The internet is a good medium to share new ideas, so I would be interested in local people’s views on these ideas.
Following the credit crunch, house owners, who cannot pay their mortgage and are threatened with repossession should have the right to sell their house to the council and then continue to live in the property and pay rent.
This would avoid the trauma of repossession and the need for councils to find new homes for families at this time of major dislocation.
We think local authorities should also have the powers to buy empty and unsold properties for new council houses.
Any views on this?
Report abuse
Well people already have the right to sell their house and rent it back - it goes on quite alot and has always gone on. Why should the state interfere with this market?
And just where is the council going to get the money from?
Surley this would be open to abuse by people who dont want to get pregnant to get to the front of the houseing queue. Whats to stop me, buying a house with mortgage, failing to make the payments, then finding I live in a council house under the scheme.
Local Authorities have the power to sell empty properties under the Law of Property Act 1925 and so make them inhabited. Yes 1925!!!
The Greens really are a joke. Honestly *tut*
Report abuse
Talk about jumping on the bandwagon…lol Can the greens really be so ignorant to not know about an act that goes back to 1925…how green can you get?
Report abuse
‘Lucy W’, you asked why the state should interfere with the housing market?
Because if they do not, then families, who default on their mortgage repayments, as a result of the financial crisis/related job losses, will find themselves homeless.
We know what you think of homeless people, but I would say that the majority of people in this country find views like yours contemptuous.
If the state does not intervene to help families then many will wonder why it is so easy to find £500bn to bail out unwise banks, but so difficult to find money to help people in our communities stay in their houses.
Report abuse
The Law of Property Act 1925 gives local authorities the power to sell properties IN ORDER TO RECOVER DEBTS from the owner.
In my opinion, these powers are distinct from the proposals I outlined above, which are IN ORDER TO CREATE AFFRODABLE HOUSING.
Report abuse
Huw: That is quite correct. so if they charge community charge on unoccupied premised and it isnt paid - bingo. Like wise if have to make emergency repair. There’s more than one way to skin a rabbit.
The law has been refined by the introduction of Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs) which were introduced in the Housing Act 2004 and came into force in April 2006.
Just what is the Green Party suggesting that isn’t already available under this legisaltion?
How ignorant can people get? Honestly *tut*
Report abuse
OK, I stand corrected, just as I hope you concede that the 1925 legislation was different.
However, if these powers exist already, then the public ought to be made aware of them, as the number of repossessions rises, and EMDOs are more urgently needed.
Report abuse
Huw; Well the LPA 1925 was used for this purpose frequently during and after the war although that was not its original purpose.
But surely if I have an empty property that I intend to live in one day but meanwhile dont want tennants causing grief, then thats a break of my right to peaceful enjoyment of property under the ECHR if it is taken away from me?
Surely if you have a spare room, you wouldn’t like to have a lodger forced on you?
Whats good for the goose is good for the gander.
As for public awareness, perhaps the Green Party would be better educating, rather than advocating policies that solve a problem that already has legislation in place to deal with it?
Have you advised the Green Party of the Housing Act 2004? It just makes me wonder where they get their professional advice from and makes me very scepical that anything they say has any substance when they come out with such stupid policies with no proper professional backing.
Report abuse
Interesting points coming from somone who denies the truth about climate change, Lucy.
Report abuse
So are you PERSONALLY doing anything for the housing crisis or just telling everyone else what they should do by “advocating” policies?
Report abuse
I think that being a member of a party which advocates the building of eco-friendly council housing is a PERSONAL response to a big issue.
Jonathan Brown, who has stood as a candidate for the Green Party in local elections in Shropshire, is director of Land for People, a Welshpool-based trust which is creating affordable and sustainable housing locally.
If any reader is affected by this issue, or wants to know more information about this organisation, its aims, its democratic philosophy and what Jonathan Brown is doing PERSONALLY every day of his working life, then I recommend the LAND FOR PEOPLE website.
Report abuse