Council steps in to house vulnerable young adults

You are viewing content from Sunshine Radio Herefordshire and Monmouthshire. Would you like to make this your preferred location?

Friday, 14 December 2018 16:19

By Carmelo Garcia - Local Democracy Reporter

County councillors blasted ‘fat cat’ housing association directors as civic leaders yesterday pledged to invest up to £2.4m in housing for Herefordshire’s most vulnerable.

Herefordshire Council’s cabinet approved proposals which allow the economy and place director Richard Ball to purchase houses to meet their statutory obligations.

This will include housing care leavers and other young people with complex needs, such as chaotic and high risk lifestyles and self harm.

Liberal Democrat councillor and former council leader Terry James said he wholeheartedly welcomed the move but railed against housing associations who he said are ‘abdicating their responsibility’.

“I’m afraid there is a great scandal which will happen about housing associations.

“They were set up to be social landlords and now are abdicating that responsibility. They are more about looking after themselves as if they were a private company.

“Remember, these associations had the assets transferred to them for a pittance. Now they are acting as if they, as directors, own them themselves.

“I’m afraid the chief executive of Herefordshire Council’s salary pales into insignificance compared to some of the salaries of housing associations directors, for what is a relatively simple task compared to running a local authority.

“They have become fat cats looking after themselves not looking after social tenants.”

Conservative cabinet for health and wellbeing Paul Rone said housing associations were traditionally be the provider of homes for vulnerable residents.

“The change in stance of registered social landlords and, in particular, the risk aversion policies that they have in place has led to challenges to find suitable housing and homes in appropriate places,” he said.

“This is a situation that we as corporate parents must deal with and deal with robustly.

“We have a statutory duty to provide suitable accommodation for certain groups of vulnerable people and care leavers as well as youngsters with life issues, which for me, come top of the priority list.”

Conservative cabinet member for infrastructure Philip Price said he took councillor James’ point.

He said: “An enormous amount of property was just handed on a plate with very low fees to housing associations.

“Some of those properties have been sold off very cheaply to their residents. These sort of things change as governments change and anything we do can be undermined.

“But we have a problem that must be addressed and this is the way to address it.”

Council officers have identified capital funding of up to £2.4m over three years from the affordable housing as one potential source to support implementation of the proposals.

More from Local News

Today's Weather

  • Hereford

    Light rain

    High: 11°C | Low: 3°C

  • Abergavenny

    Hail shower

    High: 10°C | Low: 4°C

  • Monmouth

    Heavy Rain

    High: 11°C | Low: 4°C

Like Us On Facebook