STROUD MP David Drew, believes the desperate shortage in affordable housing is causing real misery across the country.

Mr Drew recently led a debate in Parliament calling on the Government to provide more council housing.

It was one of the final debates before MPs’ Christmas break, but Mr Drew believes it is one of the most crucial issues, with inadequate housing affecting growing numbers of people.

“At this time of year especially, the misery of over-crowded or inadequate housing is amplified,” said Mr Drew.

“Housing is the biggest issue that people raise with my case working team.

“The Government could be doing so much more to support housing associations and councils, like Stroud District Council, to provide desperately needed social housing, which is why I raised this in the House of Commons.”

In Stroud there are more than 2,700 families on the waiting list for council housing, and private rented properties are increasingly unaffordable for local people.

Due to the way housing benefit is calculated. Overall, there is over a 50% shortfall of social housing. Nationally, the number of rough sleepers has doubled; the number of new affordable homes for rent is at a record low; and 40% of social housing sold under ‘Right to Buy’ is now in the hands of private landlords, who charge nearly double the rent of council housing.

Overcrowding is a growing problem and councils and housing associations have seen reduced budgets for housing maintenance.

Mr Drew led the adjournment debate late on Wednesday night to put the spotlight on the Government’s policies on local authority housing.

He told fellow MPs including Alok Sharma, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, of the plight of some of his Stroud constituents, including mother with two young children in a one-bedroom flat in a poor state of repair.

“Yet every time she bids for council housing she fails, and she is 300th on the council list,” he said.

“The situation is made worse by the fact that every unit of local authority accommodation which is sold, 70% of that money goes back to the government.”

“One of the ways the Government can reach its target of 300,000 new units is by recognising the role that local authority housing has to play and by providing it with tools and taking down barriers,” he said.

“Stroud District Council took on the onerous task of buying the stock, yet the Government is still taking money from its assets that we have to sell. That can’t be fair or reasonable.”

The Government’s cap on borrowing is preventing Stroud District Council and other councils from building new homes.

Alok Sharma, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, thanked Dr Drew for raising a vital issue.