Cabinet member orders that 2400 residents be taken off list
Earlier in the week a report, which is being presented to the York Council “Cabinet”, claimed that the numbers on the Housing waiting list had more than halved in 6 months.
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The report showed that only 2420 are now registered on the list – down from 4692 at the end of March.
4692 was the figure quoted by Labour to justify their plans to build 22,000 additional homes over the next 15 years, mainly on green belt land next to the City.
No explanation was given for this phenomenal reduction which was simply labelled as a “decrease”.
It was all the more surprising as, since Labour took control of the Council the supply of new “affordable” homes, has tailed off.
It now turns out that the change has been achieved simply by taking people off the list who Labour Councillors feel are not in housing need.
These include all those in the so called “bronze” category.
This is another decision that has been taken without any consultation and behind closed doors. It has not been widely publicised since it was introduced about 4 weeks ago..
No doubt Labour hoped, nearer the next Council elections, to announce that they had “solved” York’s housing problems.
Electors are not so easily fooled.
It is time that the Council ordered a public scrutiny review of the way in which the North Yorkshire housing waiting list has been massaged.
Some of the revised criteria that are now being applied will win general support (listed below).
Many however will find this new example of secrecy a sinister development.
The key changes are listed below.
