Official statistics have shown that the number of government-funded houses available for social rent each year has fallen by 97 per cent since the Conservatives came into government.
In 2010-11, the year in which the Conservatives took office in coalition with the Liberal Democrats, over 36,000 homes for social rent were built using government money; by 2016-17, this figure had dropped drastically to 1,102.
Over the same seven-year period, the number of affordable homes built by the government has been slashed in half, from 55,909 to 27,792.
This new data comes after warnings of massive social housing losses, as 120,000 social homes have already been lost with many of these being turned into “affordable” homes available at a higher rate of rent.
Critics have responded to this policy, saying that the rents being charged are not affordable for a large number of people, particularly those on low and middle incomes.
The revelation of these new statistics will only increase pressure being placed on the Government following the tragic events of the Grenfell Tower fire in Kensington, which had already raised questions about the Conservatives’ social housing policies.
It is alleged that the tower was both built and maintained to a very poor standard and critics believe that the fire acts as a symbol for Conservative disregard for social housing.
The Chartered Institute of Housing warn that the reduction in social housing is set to continue, with them predicting that nearly 250,000 social homes will have been lost by 2020.
Recently, the Government extended its Right to Buy policy to include housing association properties, resulting in a predicted 800,000 homes being sold.
There have been numerous promises from Ministers to replace every single home sold has part of Right to Buy, however only one home is being built for every eight sold.
The extension of the Right to Buy policy is being funded by local councils being forced to sell their most valuable social houses. Many of these homes are expected to be bought by buy-to-let landlords and private firms.
The Local Government Association has predicted that nearly 90,000 council homes will be privatised by 2020.
By forcing councils to sell their most valuable assets it seems that the Conservatives are likely to ensure that any remaining social housing will be of lower quality and located in poorer areas of the country.
