This Council expresses its concern that under the measures stated in the Comprehensive Spending Review 2010 the rent for new Council tenants will rise sharply.
Council believes that this rise will be unaffordable for many people and will result in them not registering to become Council tenants.
Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Minister for Housing outlining the devastating effect this measure will have on many Leeds residents and also write to all Leeds MPs urging them to do their utmost to challenge this increase.
A BLACKBURN
Minutes:
It was moved by Councillor A Blackburn, seconded by Councillor D Blackburn, that this Council expresses its concern that under the measures stated in the Comprehensive Spending Review 2010 the rent for new Council tenants will rise sharply.
Council believes that this rise will be unaffordable for many people and will result in them not registering to become Council tenants.
Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Minister for Housing outlining the devastating effect this measure will have on many Leeds residents and also write to all Leeds MPs urging them to do their utmost to challenge this increase.
An amendment was moved by Councillor J Carter, seconded by Councillor Pryke, to delete all after ‘This Council’ and replace with:-
‘recognises that reform to Council rents and Housing Benefit are part of a wider programme of benefit reform aimed at encouraging people into work and rectifying a position where there is more money spent on benefits than gathered via income tax.
Council understands the Government’s desire to reform benefits to address the budget deficit and notes the positive impact the introduction of the universal benefit credit is likely to bring in terms of encouraging people off benefits and into work.
Council further recognises that the CSR contained a £4.5bn funding package for housing related activity, £1.9bn to be used to fund a new affordable housing programme along with £200m for mortgage rescue schemes and £100m that will support bringing 250,000 empty properties back in to use.
Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Minister for Housing encouraging him to look at ways to reduce the impact of the rent increases on those in low paid employment.’
The amendment was carried and upon being put as the substantive motion it was
RESOLVED – That this Council recognises that reform to Council rents and Housing Benefit are part of a wider programme of benefit reform aimed at encouraging people into work and rectifying a position where there is more money spent on benefits than gathered via income tax.
Council understands the Government’s desire to reform benefits to address the budget deficit and notes the positive impact the introduction of the universal benefit credit is likely to bring in terms of encouraging people off benefits and into work.
Council further recognises that the CSR contained a £4.5bn funding package for housing related activity, £1.9bn to be used to fund a new affordable housing programme along with £200m for mortgage rescue schemes and £100m that will support bringing 250,000 empty properties back in to use.
Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Minister for Housing encouraging him to look at ways to reduce the impact of the rent increases on those in low paid employment.
On the requisition of Councillors D Blackburn and A Blackburn, the voting on the amendment was recorded as follows:-
YES
Anderson, Bentley, Brett, Campbell, J L Carter, Castle, Chapman, Chastney, Cleasby, Downes, Elliott, Ewens, Mrs R Feldman, R D Feldman, Finnigan, Fox, Gettings, Golton, Grayshon, M Hamilton, Harrand, W Hyde, Kendall, Kirkland, Lamb, Lancaster, G Latty, P Latty, Leadley, Lobley, Marjoram, Matthews, Monaghan, J Procter, R Procter, Pryke, Robinson, Schofield, Smith, A Taylor, Townsley, Varley, Wadsworth, Wilkinson, Wilson, Wood.
46
NO
Akhtar, Armitage, Atha, Atkinson, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Blake, Congreve, Coulson, Davey, Dowson, Driver, Gabriel, P Grahame, R Grahame, Groves, Gruen, S Hamilton, Hanley, Hardy, G Harper, J Harper, G Hyde, Illingworth, Jarosz, J Lewis, R Lewis, Lowe, Lyons, A McKenna, Morgan, Mulherin, Murray, Nash, Ogilvie, Parker, Renshaw, Selby, Taggart, Wakefield, Yeadon.
41
ABSTAIN
0
(The provision of Council Procedure Rule 4.2(c) was applied during the debate on this motion.)