Giving People a Home

Housing is one of the biggest issues locally yet until now the borough has not used all the powers at its disposal to be a positive force in finding solutions. The new Liberal Democrat administration set out its of list priorities: • to provide for the homeless more effectively • to begin to build social housing • to develop a more robust framework to provide affordable homes • to ensure a more appropriate mix of housing throughout Elmbridge • to enforce higher standards in the private rented sector. For the first time this century Elmbridge is back in the business of building homes for the people of Elmbridge. The number of homeless families in Elmbridge has been growing steadily over the last ten years and, in the past, they have been offered bed and breakfast facilities as far away as Slough and Hounslow. Few, if any were offered places in Elmbridge itself mainly because the cost of bed and breakfast in Elmbridge is very high. One of the first new social homes projects is here in Weybridge town centre and is currently passing through the planning process. But there are a number of other projects across Elmbridge in the pipeline. These will reduce and eventually eliminate the number of homeless families put into bed and breakfast far away. This will not only be a welcome improvement in their condition – being close to work, friends and relations, but it will also reduce our costs.