SOS welcome

SIR - The Sid Vale Association’s SOS campaign is vital, timely and warmly appreciated. However, a word of warning for them, and others, on their statement that they would “welcome some affordable housing in the town”. (Public Meeting Notice in last week’s edition).

Many misguidedly support this concept because their own offspring have been unable to afford to buy a home.

The Government’s own communities and local government website, however, reminds us that “Affordable housing includes social renting” and that “Social rented housing is rented housing, owned and managed by local authorities and HAs (housing associations)”.

This country’s generous housing benefit system already allows many people, on benefits and low wages, to rent accommodation in both the public and private sectors that could not be afforded by those of us who have worked and paid income tax for all of our lives (and whose taxes continue to subsidise this).

What we need in Sidmouth includes affordable starter homes for young, working people.

This is completely different from “affordable housing” and we need to be careful to delineate between the two.

A Tilley

via email