David Lepper

Labour Party | Brighton Pavilion

Homelessness Bill

Homelessness Bill

Mr. Lepper: I welcome the provisions in the Bill. In my area, Brighton and Hove council is already doing many of the things that will be required of all local authorities. Preventive work through our housing advice centre has been important in preventing many local people from becoming homeless. We have devised a homelessness strategy, led by the local authority but involving, as hon. Members have said it should, the other partners in the development of that strategy, including the private sector.

However, there are constraints on what my local authority can do, especially under the Bill. Those constraints are the availability of social housing--only 15 per cent. of our housing stock is social housing compared with a national average of 22 per cent.--and the availability of affordable housing--87 per cent. of the households in housing need in my local authority areacannot afford suitable accommodation at market rents. In my area, the average price of a one-bedroom flat is £90,000, and the average rent for a one-bedroom flat is £583 per month. Average earnings per week are about £20 below the national average.

I welcome these measures, especially those relating to victims of violence and vulnerable young people. I welcome the Minister's assurance that they are only part of the strategy to deal with the problem of providing the housing that people deserve. Irrespective of the Bill, market forces determine that in the area that I and my hon. Friends the Members for Brighton, Kemptown (Dr. Turner) and for Hove (Mr. Caplin) represent this will be only part of the weaponry that we need to deal with the problem of homelessness and threatened homelessness.I seek the Minister's assurance that the Government will consider other measures to help to provide more affordable housing.