Labour Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner have announced new proposals that would grant councils powers to take control of empty and rental properties across Britain
Andy Burnham and Angela Rayner have unveiled fresh proposals that would hand councils powers to seize control of empty and rental properties. Prime Minister Burnham, and his Housing Secretar disclosed the scheme to allow local authorities to take possession of houses and flats during the party’s conference in Liverpool this week.
Burnham confirmed that authorities would be granted the ability to take charge of ‘poor quality’ rental properties where absent landlords refuse to undertake improvements.
Meanwhile, Angela Rayner outlined proposals enabling councils to commandeer residential properties that have stood empty for six months or more. Former Greater Manchester Mayor, Mr Burnham, said: “Go to almost any town across Britain, and you will see plenty of empty homes.
“We will give councils the power to take control of them and bring them back into the public housing stock.
“You will see rented homes in a poor state of repair too, on so many British streets, homes which harm the health of the people inside and drag down the streets around them,” reports Birmingham Live, reports Nottinghamshire Live.
“The worst of it – often owned by absent landlords who are paid through the benefit system but refuse to reinvest anything in the upkeep of the property. It is time to call an end to this.”
Ms Rayner stated: “For those homes that sit idle and unused, we will make it easier for councils to bring these homes back into use for desperate families who need them, sweeping away Tory barriers that hampered our local leaders from taking action.”
In retaliation, Conservative Party housing spokesperson Katie Lamb fired back, cautioning: “This Labour Government wants to seize your property, if they don’t approve of how you’re using it.”
She continued: “They’re exacerbating the housing crisis and using it as a pretext to assault property rights. The truth is, Labour don’t believe that anything you own truly belongs to you.”