Coalition ‘failing to honour promises on housing’

THE Government has been accused of “watering down” promises on mixed housing as new research shows that the risk of poverty is more than five times greater for local authority tenants than for people living in private dwellings.

Research published yesterday by the Combat Poverty Agency also found that the position of local authority tenants is worsening at a time of continuing economic growth. It also found another high-risk category is tenants in private rented housing who have twice the average poverty rate.

Combat Poverty director Helen Johnston described the Government’s failure to date to reserve 20% of new developments for social and affordable housing as “very disappointing”.