Saturday, April 19, 2008

At last some truth about Immigration and Social Housing

Back from a birthday celebration break in deepest, darkest Devon to read a welcome account in “Inside Housing” about research by the “Equality & Human Rights Commission” into the British housing allocations system.

Unlike the nonsense and “Big lies” pedalled by the BNP, the commission reported categorically that there was “no evidence in the research of any abuse of the system including “queue jumping” to the significant detriment of any group including white families”.

The reality is that “new migrants made up less than 2 per cent of the total number of people in social housing throughout the UK. Around 90 per cent of those living in social housing are born in the UK”.

There is still of course the problem that the perception of “queue jumping” and unfairness still exists. This report will help tackle this mis-perception, although I doubt it has been widely covered in “The Sun” or the “Daily Mail”?

For decades we have also had a corrosive policy of allowing Council homes to be sold under the “right to buy” without these rented homes being replaced. This has led to not only rapidly changing communities but scarcity and perceived competition between communities for homes and shelter.

Thankfully we are now planning to build new homes in London (Ken willing).

3 comments:

Ian Manborde said...

Hi John,

Very good piece but as you say the report is unlikely to permeaate the thick reactionary crust of the right-wing media.

Even if it did they would only try and smear the research methods used.

It is generally useful though to be able to point to research like this in my work with trade union reps (http:// ianmanborde.blogspot.com/)as sadly there are sometimes activists who fall for the message of the right.

Keep up the good work!

Ian

John Gray said...

Hi Ian
Thanks for your comments.

I think we do need to get our act together on counting the arguments of the Right over immigration (and other polices) in our own movement.

I've put a link to your blog. Hope OK?

Ian Manborde said...

Hi John,

Apologies for delayed reply to your message.

Thanks for putting me as a link from your blog.

Best wishes

Ian