On Monday 9th May, the Housing and Planning Bill 2015/16 will come back to the Commons.  Aspire would like to ask you to support Lord Bob Kerslake’s amendment, agreed in the Lords on Wednesday 4th May.  In introducing his amendment, Lord Bob Kerslake described how meeting the 20% ‘starter homes’ requirement, currently proposed in draft regulations, will mean that other forms of social and affordable housing will be squeezed out of local planning agreements with developers. As he put it, “The issue with starter homes has never been about providing an offer to young first time buyers; it is that we should not do so at the expense of those on lower incomes who are in even greater need”.  

Aspire sees this as an important amendment that MPs should support. It will enable local authorities to include a proportion of much needed accessible housing in agreements with developers, which the imposition of a 'starter homes’ target would rule out.

Aspire would like to ask you to email your MP to urge them to support this amendment as it offers at least a little hope for disabled people that their local authority will respond to their housing needs. 

It's simple to email your MP:

1. 1. Click here to go to the website www.writetothem.com.  

2. Enter your postcode and click go.

3. You will see a list of your representatives.  Scroll down to "Your MP" and click on the person's name which brings up a message box.  

4. Write your text.  Below are some suggested points to write (but please personalise it as identical messages will be blocked).  

- ask your MP to support Lord Bob Kerslake’s amendment to the Housing and Planning Bill.

- add your reasons e.g. "I am worried about the provision of accessible homes for disabled people" / "I think this amendment provides hope that disabled people's housing needs will still be able to be met by local authorities."

- suggest they go to our website if they want further information e.g. to read our research report "Examining lives in adapted and unadapted homes: the impact of housing spinal injured people in inaccessible housing" at https://www.aspire.org.uk/examining-lives-in-adapted-and-unadapted-homes.

5. Fill in your details and press send. 

6. Please share our tweets and facebook post to encourage others to write to their MP.

   

Thank you. 

Click here to read Aspire's blog about the Housing and Planning Bill amendment

Click here to read the full debate

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