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A FATHER has told the Morning Star of his fears that the Tory Housing Bill will force his adult children to live with him for the rest of their lives.
Harlow’s Sumners estate resident Mick Patrick’s two sons, aged 22 and 24, were still living with him as austerity Britain trapped them in low-waged and precarious jobs.
David Cameron’s plans to end secure tenancies and sell off “high-value” social homes on the open market would leave families like Mr Patrick’s on the brink of homelessness.
“I have two boys at home. One of them is on zero-hours contracts, in and out of work with eight different agencies,” said Mr Patrick.
“He’s forever filling in forms and sending them off to the council. “Effectively at the moment, there’s absolutely no hope of them getting on the [council housing] waiting list, there’s no hope of them getting anywhere near a council flat.
“And if [Tories] sell off the 5 per cent of the highest cost council homes, I know from previous developments in the town that those homes won’t be replaced.”
Harlow council is expected to sell up to 375 of its homes — made vacant by the Tories’ bedroom tax.
Defend Council Housing has warned that the situation is already critical with revenue from the sale of social homes simply going to subsidise the government’s right to buy scheme.
One in nine council homes has been replaced since the start of the programme, with campaigners arguing that the shortage of housing stock has driven up rents and house prices.
