The Socialist 9 November 2011

Build for 30 Nov strike - The fight of all our lives!

Build for 30 Nov strike - The fight of all our lives!

Socialism 2011: Crucial preparation for the fightback

Jarrow march ends, fightback continues

We won't pay £9K! - Scrap tuition fees

Unison members say YES to strike

Southampton: Sink Tory cuts!

Bombardier protest against job losses

Workplace news in brief

1935 - when angry Welsh protests forced a government u-turn

1915 - How strikes and rent strikes won gains for Scottish tenants

Failed G20 summit takes eurozone nearer to the abyss

Greek workers must resist the dictatorship of finance capital

Socialist MEP among Gaza peace activists kidnapped by IDF

Israel: General strike over job security

Housing slump

Miliband the militant? No way!

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Housing slump

A housing protest on the Seven Stars estate in Wrekenton, Gateshead, photo Elaine Brunskill (Click to enlarge)

The ever deepening housing crisis has been revealed by the latest new build figures. They show that the number of new homes built in 2010/11 in England has slumped to 121,200 - the lowest number since 1923 and 6% down on last year.

London saw the biggest decrease of new homes, with a 27% fall on the previous year. Meanwhile there was an increase in the number of mobile homes and 'temporary dwellings'.

The failure of the Con-Dem government, and the previous Labour government, to invest in publicly owned social housing and instead to largely rely on private property developers to meet housing needs, is apparent to all.

The credit crunch has also seen banks restricting borrowing to first time home buyers. Many young people have now zero prospects of owning a home and instead are compelled to remain domiciled at their parents' home.

In the private rented accommodation sector the imposition of benefit caps will increase evictions and reduce the availability of accommodation. And the caps have not led instead to a decrease in rents by landlords as previously predicted by government minister Iain Duncan Smith, as rents have increased to record highs.

In this issue

Fighting the cuts

Build for 30 Nov strike - The fight of all our lives!