Speech On Housing delivered to Labour Party Conference

I am Ruth Cadbury – Association of Labour Councillors , the first ALC delegation at conference following  the rule change last year
–speaking in support of Composite 5 on Housing.
Conference - Many people see my name and ask if I am related to the well known Quaker and Chocolate family

Yes I am, and that is why housing is in my DNA.
At the turn of the 20th century, at a time before local government had a role in delivering housing, my forbearers recognised  the vital need to address the appalling slum conditions prevalent in Birmingham. As employers they created Bournville , a community for working people and their families, of good quality, affordable housing
 - a historic example, one might say of One Nation, in practice

Not long after that, local government took on the role of delivering affordable, quality housing by building, enabling, and regulating;
And today Labour Councils are leading the way in addressing both the overall shortage of homes, and the desperate shortage of affordable homes.

First let me nail the myth that the planning system is holding back the overall supply of housing– no it isn’t.  Local authorities have approved 400,000 new homes, and building hasn’t started on half of those plots –why? -   because the banks aren’t lending.

Now to what Labour Councils, are doing in their communities to deliver good quality  homes with rents that people can afford.

Conference Five times as many council and housing association homes for affordable rent, are being built in Labour authorities, than in Tory ones.

here are just a handful of examples of the work of Labour Councils large and small

- My own Council – Hounslow will have delivered 2500 new affordable homes in the 4 years to 2014, including 124 COUNCIL houses,   of which 18 are zero carbon homes.
Blackpool  – will deliver100 new affordable homes per year
and Liverpool's current programme is 3500
 - Stevenange is building level 6 zero carbon Council houses as part of their significant council housing programme

And Labour Councils are using a range of powers and partnerships to leverage in funding for new homes - Manchester is using the pension fund and Council land to invest in 240 new homes.
Glasgow, Oldham and Hastings are stimulating the private sector to build homes by launching mortgage scheme that enable first-time buyers to access up to 95% mortgages.

And to develop skills and future employment  my authority,  like others, requires construction training to be provided in all new development projects
And Labour Councils are playing an active role in improving the growing private rented sector;
-Oxford  and Newham have introduced licensing schemes of private sector landlords to drive up standards for tenants and drive out the rogue landlords.

But  Conference  - Labour Councils cannot address the mountain of outstanding housing need alone – we need a Labour Government
– a Labour Government that will use the £4bn 4G dividend to build 100,000 affordable homes,
- and a government whose economic policies gets banks lending,
builders developing,
buyers borrowing
and construction workers building the new homes that this country so desperately needs