Housing changes - housing benefit, no council housing for life etc

[limonejelly]

Have namechanged for this as I dont want to out myself in RL.

I am going to a housing related meeting this week in which these are the discussion points:

These include capping of housing benefits, withdrawal of council houses for life, partial devolution of priority setting for social housing lists to local authorities and devolution of affordable housing target-setting to local areas.

I think I have clarified what I think about it - am terrified that am going to go along and be completely out of my depth yet at the same time want to put my views across.

I just wanted to know if anyone had anymore arguments for or (mostly) against some of these things.

It is slightly confusing as its hard to speculate without knowing the outcome of the housing benefit changes - ie how many people will be moving to the outskirts of cities etc and therefore what provision will be needed in future.

england.shelter.org.uk/what_you_can_do/campaigning

Shelter have made comments on todays news:

"These policies, and more importantly lack of policies to address our housing crisis, will see the door firmly closed on the aspirations of a whole generation for decent, secure, affordable housing to rent or buy. The gap between the housing haves and have nots will dramatically widen.? [Mr.Robb]

He also goes on to say;
" If the government does not set out its long term vision to solve our whole housing crisis urgently it must accept responsibility for the impact on child poverty, a lack of access to decent, affordable housing and already increasing levels of homelessness.?

england.shelter.org.uk/news/october_2010/dont_cut_housing,_shelter_urges