Classing ‘affordable’ homes as those where tenants are charged 80% of the local market rent is wrong, according to a Wirral councillor.
Speaking at a meeting of Wirral Council’s Housing Committee, Labour’s Paul Martin said the 80% figure was “too high” and dictated by the private sector.
Cllr Martin felt the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority had the chance to lead the way in redefining how affordability was assessed, but the Tenancy Strategy 2022-25 - the plan being discussed at the meeting - did not take that opportunity.
READ MORE: Reason behind 'mystery air raid siren' heard across parts of Merseyside
Alan Evans, Wirral Council’s director of regeneration, said the 80% figure touched a lot of what the council does and that he would take away Cllr Martin’s comments and discuss them with others in the council, noting that it is a point which comes up time and time again.
Cllr Andrew Gardner, a Conservative, said that everything in the council’s upcoming Local Plan is based on the 80% figure and asked Mr Evans what assurances he could give that any discussions on the figure would not affect the Local Plan, which is a document set to outline how thousands of homes will be built across Wirral over the next 15 years.
Mr Evans said the affordable housing percentage will be applied on different rates across the borough depending on viability issues and that it was not about changing the definition of affordability but looking at what becomes affordable in context.
Mr Evans added he would look at the issues Cllr Martin highlighted as he looks at policies locally.
Looking at another part of the housing debate, Labour’s Steve Foulkes said that when he was younger there was lots of social housing available.
Cllr Foulkes said the current lack of social housing was being reflected in the issue of rent arrears and that some people were forced into houses of multiple occupation or the private rented sector due to this.
The Labour councillor concluded that if the supply of social housing went up, many of these problems would probably disappear.
