LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND HOUSING PROVISION

That this House notes with concern that the current financial crisis is likely to have a disproportionate impact on the most needy in the community who have huge outstanding loans on houses that may subsequently be repossessed; calls on the Government to provide sufficient resources and powers to local authorities to prevent such homelessness brought about through the repossession of such properties, thereby enabling those families to become local authority tenants; notes the large number of unsold private sector developments in many boroughs; and further calls on the Government to enable local authorities to purchase these and thus ensure that people living in desperately overcrowded or hostel accommodation are properly housed.