Government Money to Cut Council House Rent Increases in Half
Nick Brown MP today welcomed Housing Minister Margaret Beckett’s announcement that the Government will step in to halve council housing rent increases for this April.
The government’s intervention means that Council house residents across the North East will not have to pay above inflation rent increases, as long as councils bid for the money and pass the cut on to residents. This is part of the Government’s efforts to provide support for people in the economic downturn by intervening to make up for the lost revenue.
However on the week that it came to light that Lib Dem controlled Newcastle City Council had decided not to bid to bring forward £3.5m spending school building projects, Nick Brown has demanded that Newcastle bid for the government money to cut the rent increase in half.
Nick Brown MP said: “This will be widely welcomed in the region. It is a chance for councils to cut housing rent rises in half, providing real help now, for council house residents.
“In Newcastle, the council has proposed to increase the cost of housing by 6.31% from April. The Labour government has decided that this is not fair.
“Following the Lib Dems decision in Newcastle not to bid to get our fair share of school investment, I am demanding that they bid for the governments money and cut the rate increases in halve for hard working families.”
