UNISON calls on government to fund council houses

(13/11/08) Cash-strapped councils need money to make sure they can provide people with decent homes, says UNISON.The union is urging the government to front up the cash to help councils build new homes, and to upgrade the homes of existing tenants to meet national standards.Speaking from the union's housing seminar in Birmingham today, UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield said: "Severe overcrowding and waiting lists of four million show that new homes are urgently needed."The chancellor's plans to spend through the recession provide the perfect opportunity to step in and build them, she said."A programme of new homes for tenants to rent from councils and housing associations makes social and economic sense – creating jobs in construction and building supplies as well as meeting housing needs."The government must also take steps to avoid redundancies in councils and housing associations, she said."When there is so much that needs to be done it makes no sense for programmes to be scaled back and staff numbers cut."