Construction union UCATT have condemned Government plans to cut the length of council housing tenancies fearing it will create ghettos.

Under the Government's proposals tenants will be offered tenancies lasting as little as two years, if after that period their financial circumstances have improved, they will be evicted from their homes.

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "This policy is disgraceful. It will choke off any form of aspiration among families. Creating ghettos of non-working households or workers solely in low paid jobs. Workers will not seek a promotion or a better paid job, as the consequence of their success will be eviction for their families."

-- Advertisement --

The policy runs directly counter to policies seeking to create socially diverse communities with people of different incomes and backgrounds living in close proximity.

By limiting tenancy periods the Government will be recreating recent problems and those of the late 1980's and early 1990's, where families with unreliable or insufficient salaries were encouraged to buy property. When financial problems then ensued they lost their homes and local councils were required to re-house them.

Mr Ritchie, added: "At a time when private housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable, when it is difficult to qualify for a mortgage and the private rented sector is very expensive, it is the politics of madness to be evicting families from social housing."

UCATT have long campaigned for a dramatic increase in the building of new social housing at social rents, to tackle the growing housing crisis. Not only would this reduce homelessness it would reinvigorate the construction industry and help to get skilled workers back into work.

During the recent Comprehensive Spending Review the Government announced the funding for new social housing would be cut by 60%.

(CD)