A number of constituents have contact me as part of the
campaign ‘the upcoming Spending Review can make St Austell and Newquay
affordable for private renting and prevent homelessness’
We are seeing record levels of development in the
constituency. Many constituents are very concerned about the level of housing
being built. The government is committed to providing the housing of all
tenures to meet the demand but this has to be done in a balanced way.
83% of people who currently don’t own a home desire to own
one. I want to see people able to have the real security of owning their own
home and the government are helping people to do this through various schemes.
For most people saving for a deposit is the issue.
We are doing lots to help first time buyer – help to buy,
the First Home Scheme which gives people a 30% discount from houses local to
where they live. We also have commitment to introduce Lifetime Rental Deposits
to help renters reduce the costs when moving between properties.
We have to tackle this issue from both sides – we undeniably
do need to build more houses and wherever possible make them available to local
people from the development stage onwards, one way is via Community Land Trusts
for example, and grow the Cornish economy so wages rise and people are better
able to afford them.
I hope this is helpful in outlining both my own position on
this matter but also some of the steps already being taken by the government to
assist in this area. It is one I care greatly about, with sons who have only in
recent years been able to take their own first steps on the housing ladder, and
one I will continue to do all I can to get positive progress for Cornwall in.
