Julie Hilling
Main Page: Julie Hilling (Labour - Bolton West)
Kris Hopkins
The record will show that in four years we have delivered—this is despite the dismal housing market we were left, the fact that people could not get loans from banks and the fact that individuals had lost their jobs as a direct consequence of Labour’s failed housing policy—200,000 affordable homes, twice as many council houses as Labour delivered in 13 years and a clear vision to deliver more houses through Help to Buy, which will deliver 120,000 houses for first-time buyers. Our desire to build housing is clearly on the record and we are delivering.
Julie Hilling (Bolton West) (Lab)
6. What assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of rent arrears in social housing.
Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab)
7. What assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of rent arrears in social housing.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Stephen Williams)
According to the Homes and Communities Agency, at the end of 2013-14, the average level of rent arrears among larger housing associations was 3.6%, an improvement from 4.1% over the previous quarter.
Julie Hilling
Bolton at Home tells me that its arrears stand at £1.9 million, even though it has a 97% collection rate and has employed an additional 11 people to increase collection and support tenants in financial difficulty. The Minister’s policies are jeopardising his business model on social housing and the ability to build new houses and improve current stock. Can he honestly say that his policies are working?
Stephen Williams
According to the information I have, the number of people affected by the social size criteria has fallen across Bolton, from 3,215 households when the policy started in May 2013 to 2,775 now, so there seems to be some discrepancy in the figures.