‘Cathy Come Home’ director and ‘Chavs’ author back DCH campaign

Veteran filmmaker Ken Loach is among the high profile supporters of a new campaign against the Government’s housing and welfare policies that is to be launched at the House of Commons towards the end of February.

Defend Council Housing (DCH) and Housing Emergency have accused the Government of “fuelling a housing emergency” and of instigating an “all-out attack on tenants and council housing”.

The two organisations have issued a statement calling for councillors, MPs, tenant and trade union organisations, along with housing, disability and poverty campaigners to join the campaign, which will be launched on 21st February at 6.30pm.

Alongside Loach, other high profile backers for the ‘Time for an Alternative’ campaign include the author and social commentator Owen Jones (who penned ‘Chavs: the demonization of the working class), veteran MP Austin Mitchell, Stephen Battersby, Councillor Catherine West, and Gail Cartmail.

In a statement issued today, DCH said: “Government is fuelling a housing emergency, with an all-out attack on tenants and council housing. With housebuilding collapsing, mortgages unaffordable, and private rents rising, Government is forcing up rents, attacking secure tenancies, and drastically cutting housing benefit.

“Homeless applications and rough sleeping are already rising, and there are 4.5 million people on housing waiting lists, 1.3 million private tenants face homelessness or debt (Chartered Institute of Housing), and seven million report using credit to pay for their home last year (Shelter).

“Government’s housing measures do not have an electoral mandate. They will create more evictions, homelessness and fear, but will not curb high rents. They do nothing to create secure, affordable homes for rent desperately needed for all those who are priced out by the housing market. They will create exclusion zones driving out the low-paid, the sick and the poor, and their families.”

The organisation is opposing cuts in housing benefit, and calls for councillors to refrain those who fall into rent arrears as a result of the cuts. The organisation also opposes the use of near-market rent Affordable Rent model. It is calling for regulation of private sector rents and a programme of investment in new and improved council and “other housing building at genuinely-affordable rents”.