Councillors have backed a motion calling for more action to tackle issues around social housing.
Cllr Russ Bragger had highlighted the issue of a lack of “genuinely affordable” rental properties at a meeting of Lichfield District Council
His motion said:
“This council, recognising the severe shortage of decent homes to rent at genuinely affordable levels across our district, asks that the cabinet, acting on behalf of the council as shareholder in the company, requests that the council’s Local Authority Trading Company immediately draw up plans with a clear timeline for building and acquiring housing at social rents across the district and that there is liaison with a cross party working group of councillors in doing this.”
Motion proposed by Cllr Russ Bragger
The motion was passed unanimously in the council chamber.
Cllr Bragger said he was happy to see progress – but insisted action to tackle the issue should have been taken sooner:
“I was very pleased that the Tory councillors were persuaded to support my motion to get the district council to build and buy social housing across Lichfield, Burntwood and the villages.
“The current leadership have had five years to do this – if they had acted sooner Lichfield District Council would already be providing housing at affordable rents to enable low paid families to remain in the district.
“The challenge now will be to get this scheme up and running quickly. More Lichfield residents need the security of a long term settled tenancy rather than being priced out of the housing market and having to move out of the district.”
Cllr Russ Bragger, Lichfield District Council
