By Sir Andrew Green
30 June, 2009
The Government’s announcement yesterday that they are handing councils new powers to give local people priority on the waiting list for social housing is a clear admission that they have been misleading us over the huge impact of immigration on housing.
For years, they have been in total denial, refusing even to discuss how immigration has affected the supply of housing.
Now, at last, they have acknowledged that this is an issue which must be tackled. Supply of social housing has fallen far behind the demand for it because waiting lists have grown by over 60 per cent in just six years.
One major reason for this is the number of asylum seekers who have been granted asylum – or other forms of protection which entitle them to remain in Britain – and offered social housing…