It absolutely drives me mad seeing these endless reports and consultations about the housing crisis while the actual number of genuinely affordable homes stays stagnant. We're told about "partnerships" and "innovative solutions," but for people like me, struggling to keep a roof over my head or trying to find something decent for my kid that doesn't cost half our income, it all feels like empty promises. The city council seems more interested in appeasing developers than actually housing its own residents.
My proposal is simple: we need a mandatory 50% affordable housing quota on all new developments over 10 units, with at least half of that being social housing for rent at genuinely affordable rates, not these "shared ownership" schemes that trap people. This isn't rocket science; it's about prioritising people over profit.
Discussion (4)
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Mock the policy. Not the person. Community principles →
As someone who's run businesses in this city for years, I've seen how mixed-use developments can work, and I think a 50% quota can be made to work if we're smart about it. For example, I've got a coffee shop in a new development near the canal, and the mix of affordable and market-rate units has actually helped my business by bringing in a more diverse customer base.
I think a mandatory 50% affordable housing quota is a great idea, and it's not like it's untested - I read somewhere that a similar policy has been successful in other cities. For example, in London, they've had some success with a similar quota, it's about time we tried something similar here. It's time the council started prioritising the needs of its residents over those of developers.