A minister has refused to apologise to a Bolton MP after she slammed ‘sky-high’ rents and high waiting lists for housing in the borough.
Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi has blamed Liz Truss’s mini-budget after Bolton experienced the highest rent increase in the UK.
In Parliament this week, Ms Qureshi asked housing minister Jacob Young what steps he is taking to increase the provision of social rented housing.
Mr Young responded that the Government’s Affordable Homes Programme would deliver ‘thousands of affordable homes for both rent and purchase right across the country’.
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The Bolton South East MP then responded: “In Bolton, 20,000 people are on a housing waiting list. For a three-bedroom house it’s an 18-month wait, and, on average 800 to 900 people apply for each home that comes up.
“Families are often referred into the private rental sector, which they are not able to afford because, as we know, the rents are sky high.
“After 14 years of this Tory government, which has actually failed to build affordable homes, will the Minister now apologise to my constituents stuck in temporary accommodation?”
The minister responded: “The honourable lady mentions the last 14 years – well, since 2010, we have delivered over 696,000 new affordable homes including over 482,000 affordable homes for rent, of which 172,000 homes are for social rent as well.
“We are committed to building more homes for people like her constituents.”
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Liz Truss mini-budget blamed for rising costs
Commenting after the debate, Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi said: “Bolton has a rent crisis. We have seen the highest increase in rents in the whole country.
“This cannot go ignored any longer by the Conservative government.
“I see week in, week out the deep problems in our housing market in Bolton. A lack of regulation and the cost-of-living crisis is having a huge impact.
“Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions are up dramatically, and the statistics show a huge reason is private landlords wanting to sell up or move out their old tenants so that they can replace them with new ones at higher rents.
“This is a consequence of Liz Truss’ disastrous mini-budget that pushed up the cost of mortgages, including buy-to-let mortgages.
“The Conservative government promised a ban on ‘no fault’ evictions but we are still waiting. They promised to build more homes but have failed.
“The Minister talked about 482,000 new homes built for rent since 2010.
“When you divide that by the 317 local authorities in England and again by 14 years of Conservative government, the figure starts to look a lot less impressive.
“Fundamentally, we need more social housing in Bolton. We also need tighter regulation on the private rented sector which currently is tipped far too much against the tenant.”
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has been contacted for comment.
If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Bolton. Please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk.
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