2,000 new council houses - 'A welcome step in the right direction, but ministers need to move further and faster

September 9 2009

Welcoming the announcement of 2,000 new council homes, Unite today said the government needs to move 'faster and further' to tackle the severe shortage of social and council housing.

Unite, the largest union in the country, welcomed today's (Wednesday, 9 September) announcement by Housing Minister, John Healey that work is to begin on building more than 2,000 council homes, but said the government needs 'to put its foot on the accelerator'.

Unite Deputy General Secretary, Jack Dromey said: 'This welcome step will help build Britain out of recession, providing desperately needed affordable homes and much needed jobs and apprenticeships. But the scale of housing need demands yet more ambitious action and we want the government to go further and faster.'

Unite Assistant General Secretary for the Public Sector, Gail Cartmail said: 'Councils have a key role to play in meeting housing need and must act quickly in turning this investment into real homes. The foot needs to go on the accelerator to alleviate the very long waiting lists for social and council housing.'

Earlier this year, Unite unveiled its blueprint, Meeting housing need: Building Britain out of recession which called for a 'massive' council and social house building programme for the 4.5million people on waiting lists.

Such a programme could act as an engine for economic revival generally, by creating thousands of jobs in the construction industry and its suppliers.

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