Bracknell's Housing Crisis?

8.49.26pm GMT Mon 26th Jan 2009

It is now nearly a year since Bracknell Forest Homes was formed to take over the borough council's housing stock and provide more affordable homes in the borough.

The start up costs of the new organisation have already been written off by the council at a cost of £4m and yet there is still precious little evidence of any new affordable homes being provided by the new housing association. Bracknell Forest Homes was supposed to provide 250 such homes over the next five years!

This scandalous state of affairs is an affront to both local council taxpayers and local residents in urgent need of suitable accommodation. Thousands remain on the council's housing list and the position is getting worse by the day as the recession begins to bite and growing numbers of households face either the risk of being repossessed or becoming homeless.

Both the council and Bracknell Forest Homes have so far displayed very little public concern for the problems being created by the recession and while the 'credit crunch' may not have helped the situation, there is little doubt the provision of more homes has not been at the top of either organisation's agenda.

The council has only recently woken up to the fact that it's housing strategy has expired and the housing association has said little, if anything, of its plans to provide more homes. Cllr Bettison, as Leader of the Council, has shown a marked reluctance of late to respond to many of the public criticisms of the council made in your letters column. Hopefully, he or Bracknell Forest Homes can be persuaded on this occasion to reply to the points made in this letter?

Ray Earwicker

Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Bracknell