Birmingham People’s Budget to end cuts and housing crisis

Socialist Party and Socialist Students members campaigning in Birmingham

Socialist Party and Socialist Students members campaigning in Birmingham   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Joe Foster, Birmingham North Socialist Party

One Birmingham family – two adults with three children – one with ADHD who needs their own bedroom, are trying to survive in one-bedroom flat. The parents and a child sleep on a sofa bed, with a baby in the cot next to them.

They turn the lights out at 7pm to settle the children down! The council says people have to be “realistic”.

There are 500 applications a week to Birmingham’s council house waiting list. Less than half – 225 – are deemed eligible.

It took six months for one family to have their claim assessed. The average is 22 weeks.

The council owned 123,000 properties in 1981. Now it has less than half that.

The council plans to build 2,708 homes by 2029. This is not realistic!

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is hosting ‘People’s Budget for Birmingham’ – an open forum for trade unionists, community and resident groups and anti-cuts campaigners.

Here we will be preparing a budget that we can fight for. A budget that could meet the real needs on homes, jobs and public services – a realistic fighting alternative.

  • Saturday 27 November, 12-2pm, Kings Norton Ex-Servicemen’s Club, 1853a Pershore Road, Cotteridge, Birmingham B30 3DJ
  • 0797 4493525
  • [email protected]