Since 2012, 10,954 homes have been sold under Right to Buy, but just 1,597 replacements are being constructed
Tory Ministers stand accused of breaking their pledge to build a new wave of
council houses.
New figures show just one house is being built for every seven sold under the flagship Right to Buy policy – despite a promise that they would be replaced on a like-for-like basis.
In 2011 the then Housing Minister Grant Shapps rekindled the Thatcherite scheme, which encourages council tenants to buy their homes at cut-price rates.
At the time he insisted there would be no drop in the number of homes available because of Right to Buy, saying: “There will be no net loss of housing – this is a one for one policy.”
Since 2012 10,954 homes have been sold under Right to Buy, but only 1,597 replacements are being built.
Despite the ongoing failures Mr Shapps – now the Tory Chairman – repeated the promise in July 2012, again insisting that “every extra council property sold under the scheme will be replaced by a new affordable home for rent.”
After it was first launched in 1980 the policy has been criticised for pushing up house prices and leaving hard-working families in limbo as housing stocks fell.
Earlier this year a Daily Mirror investigation found a third of Right to Buy houses had been sold to rich landlords.
At the same time the total number of new social homes built last year fell to just 17,580 - a 50% drop on the previous year and the lowest since records began.
Labour said that at the current rate it would take nearly 300 years to house the 2million people on council waiting lists.
Shadow Housing Minister Emma Reynolds said Mr Shapps and the Tory government were ignoring the hardship facing the country’s poorest people.
She said: “Labour supports those who want to buy their own home but there are nearly two million families on Council waiting lists desperate for a home, and this Government is failing to live up to its promise to replace every home sold with a new home built.
“It just goes to show you can’t trust Tory promises to tackle the housing crisis.”
She added: “David Cameron has failed to get a grip on the housing shortage which is central to the cost of living crisis facing young people and families.
“It is nothing short of a disgrace that the Government is building fewer social homes than at any time on record.
"Labour is determined to tackle this housing crisis and will increase house building to at least 200,000 a year by 2020.”
A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “The Right to Buy helps hard-working people get onto the housing ladder.
“Every additional home that is sold will be replaced with a new affordable home.
"Of course, there will be a slight time lag, simply because it takes time for the new home to be planned and built.”
Mirror
New figures show just one house is being built for every seven sold under the flagship Right to Buy policy – despite a promise that they would be replaced on a like-for-like basis.
In 2011 the then Housing Minister Grant Shapps rekindled the Thatcherite scheme, which encourages council tenants to buy their homes at cut-price rates.
At the time he insisted there would be no drop in the number of homes available because of Right to Buy, saying: “There will be no net loss of housing – this is a one for one policy.”
Since 2012 10,954 homes have been sold under Right to Buy, but only 1,597 replacements are being built.
Despite the ongoing failures Mr Shapps – now the Tory Chairman – repeated the promise in July 2012, again insisting that “every extra council property sold under the scheme will be replaced by a new affordable home for rent.”
After it was first launched in 1980 the policy has been criticised for pushing up house prices and leaving hard-working families in limbo as housing stocks fell.
Earlier this year a Daily Mirror investigation found a third of Right to Buy houses had been sold to rich landlords.
At the same time the total number of new social homes built last year fell to just 17,580 - a 50% drop on the previous year and the lowest since records began.
Labour said that at the current rate it would take nearly 300 years to house the 2million people on council waiting lists.
Shadow Housing Minister Emma Reynolds said Mr Shapps and the Tory government were ignoring the hardship facing the country’s poorest people.
She said: “Labour supports those who want to buy their own home but there are nearly two million families on Council waiting lists desperate for a home, and this Government is failing to live up to its promise to replace every home sold with a new home built.
“It just goes to show you can’t trust Tory promises to tackle the housing crisis.”
She added: “David Cameron has failed to get a grip on the housing shortage which is central to the cost of living crisis facing young people and families.
“It is nothing short of a disgrace that the Government is building fewer social homes than at any time on record.
"Labour is determined to tackle this housing crisis and will increase house building to at least 200,000 a year by 2020.”
A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “The Right to Buy helps hard-working people get onto the housing ladder.
“Every additional home that is sold will be replaced with a new affordable home.
"Of course, there will be a slight time lag, simply because it takes time for the new home to be planned and built.”
Mirror
