Feb 25, 2008
795 families lost homes in Reading in 2007
Too many families in Reading are losing their homes because of difficulties over mortgage payments, claim leading local Liberal Democrat campaigners Gareth Epps and Patrick Murray.
New figures show that 795 orders for home repossession were issued by Reading county court in 2007. The trend is worsening, as the figures for the last quarter (October-December) show a rise of 8% since 2006.
“795 home repossession orders means 795 families being turfed out of the house they have lived in, often for many years,” said Patrick Murray, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary campaigner for Reading West.
”Many people remember the boom and bust policies of the last Conservative government that saw tens of thousands of people lose their home because they could not keep up with mortgage payments. Now it looks as though the current Labour Government has blundered into a similar mess.”
Cllr Gareth Epps commented,
”Gordon Brown has run an economy that has been fuelled by a runaway credit boom he has done little to bring under control.”
”795 families in 2007 paid the price for growing economic incompetence by Gordon Brown in Reading. There are now serious concerns that in 2008, the situation will get worse.”
“It is difficult enough for young people and families to get onto the housing ladder in Reading. With little sign of any change of policy from Gordon Brown, prospective first-time buyers feel more and more that Labour is pulling up the rug from under them.”
Cllr Chris Harris, Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson on Reading Borough Council, added:
”The Government has failed to ensure there are enough homes to meet people’s needs. For every ten families on the waiting list in England for social housing in 1997, when Labour came to power, there are now sixteen.”
Editor’ s Note
The figures for repossessions were published by the Department for Justice on 8th February.
