Half of all council housing in London 'not decent'

4.00.16pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 16th Jun 2005

London Assembly Liberal Democrats will today highlight that the Government is set to miss its target to make sure all Local Authority housing in London is up to the Decent Home Standard by two decades.

New figures released by the Lib Dems show that only half of all Local Authority housing in London meets up to the Government's Decent Homes criteria. The number of homes up to standard has crept up by just 4% in the last two years. If this current trend continues it will take a further 25 years before all Local Authority can be classified as 'liveable'.

In 2000, Ministers set a target for all Local Authority Housing to meet the Decent Homes Standard by 2010. However, in London it's likely to take until 2030 before all Council owned housing meets the Decent Homes Standard'.

Liberal Democrat London Assembly housing spokesperson, Dee Doocey, said:-

"It is shocking that nearly a quarter of million publicly-owned properties in London are not fit to be called a home. Local authority housing exists to help the most vulnerable needy families in the capital. That half of this stock is sub-standard and in poor repair is an absolute disgrace.

"To wait another 25 years for Local Authority housing to be up to scratch is simply unacceptable. Ministers must show they are serious about improving living conditions by backing up their pledge with the proper resources rather than passing the buck and the bill to local authorities.

"Ensuring the poorest sections of the community have a decent standard of living with an adequate roof over their heads should be a top priority and not left as yet another headline grabbing gimmick with no substance."