Call on council homes; REVIEW: Have a say on plan.

Byline: Neil Elkes

A NATIONAL campaign for more council houses is holding an open meeting in Birmingham tomorrow.

The Defend Council Housing campaign, or DCH, is inviting people to join its campaign between 11.30am and 4pm at Birmingham Irish Centre, Digbeth.

Copies of a new Government document outlining changes to council house policy will be available and council tenants, as well as those who have suffered through lack of council housing, are being urged to comment.

DCH Birmingham spokesman Frank Chance said: "Birmingham has the largest stock of council houses in the country, but that has reduced by about 20,000 in the last five years.

"We have a massive shortage of affordable quality housing and a council housing finance system which needs urgent review.

"Our politicians have done little to change the situation. We have had 12 years of New Labour and only now are they talking about council houses and it was the Tory Government which started selling them off in the first place."

He dismissed recent attempts by Birmingham City Council to work around the current limits on council house financing by setting up a Municipal Housing Trust.

"This will not change anything. They will sell off these homes as soon as they can, especially if the public money is tight in the future. We need guaranteed homes.

"The system needs a complete overhaul."

The Government review, called Council Housing - Time To Invest, includes offers of new investment in homes over the next 30 years, as well as a promise of capital grants to meet a backlog of council house repairs and renovation and bring them up to decent standards by next year.

Consultation on the plans lasts until October 27.

For further details see *www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk

CAPTION(S):

Changes: Consultation has started on council housing policy.