Poor people in Basingstoke will 'lose out' (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Claims new housing policy could leave people struggling to meet rent

5:20pm Friday 21st September 2012 in Local By Gazette reporter

THE POOR in Basingstoke will struggle to meet their rents if a new housing policy goes through.

That was the claim of a prominent Labour councillor at a meeting about affordable housing.

Members on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council ’s planning and infrastructure overview and scrutiny committee met last week to sign off the council’s proposed long-term policy on affordable housing.

The proposal was that all new housing developments would set aside 40 per cent of homes as Government-subsided “affordable homes”. Landlords would be able to charge rent at 80 per cent their market value.

“Vast numbers of people can’t afford affordable rents,” said Cllr Harvey. “If we go down this current route, we are disenfranchising people who want to rent in Basingstoke.”

Councillors from all parties said the policy needed revision and agreed to meet later this year to amend it further before submitting it for approval.