Editor

Tony Lovelock well describes the material building costs of both private and social housing, which determine the price or rent required to cover those costs (Letters, 8 April). A bit Micawberish, but he and Cian Ireland offer encouraging suggestions to address the gathering housing storm, but how I wish they would highlight the political conspiracies that are submitting millions to rent stress, and mental stress.

They could start with the annual housing benefit bill, which is several billion pounds greater servicing the substantially higher rents of private housing as opposed to social housing. A huge sum of money that could fund a national social housing programme.

They could ask why the emphasis on buying rather than renting, the elephant in the room, since social renting equates with Socialism, and government can think of no effective mechanism to recover rent benefit as they now can recover mortgage benefit, out of equity upon sale.

However, they do freeze,for years, the Local Housing Allowance, driving thousands of families out of city areas, and their support networks, to far distant cheaper housing areas, while many MPs who vote for such policies, claim thousands of pounds a month for rent expenses, often owning multiple properties elsewhere.

So, Messrs Lovelock and Ireland, let’s call out the hypocrisy and selfishness of our political class.

Roger Louvet Porthmadog

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