THE housing crisis in York is likely to be made considerably worse due to Conservative plans to provide the Right to Buy for housing association tenants, to be funded through the forced sale of council houses in low rent but high value areas.

York falls into this category as the 20th worst hit local authority.

The estimated impact (by Shelter) makes eye-watering reading. York is likely to lose 18 per cent of its council homes, some 1,432 homes.

With 1,800 people in York on the council waiting list, 70 who are homeless, 220 living in overcrowded or insanitary conditions and 60 needing to move due to medical conditions, these forced sell-offs will make the likelihood of an affordable home for working families in York a pipe dream.

Furthermore, it will result in higher costs for City of York Council due to housing homeless people in emergency accommodation for longer.

In all likelihood, homeless people will be displaced outside of York’s boundaries.

It is also a huge disincentive for a local authority to build new council homes if central government uses the funds from sales of council homes to subsidise the Right to Buy in areas where there are much higher concentration of housing association tenants (eg the North West).

Richard Bridge, Holgate Road, York

 

A BBC investigation has revealed that millions of pounds of debt have been inherited by councils across England as schools convert to academies.

A BBC Freedom of Information request to all local authorities in England has revealed that £32.5 million has been spent by councils on clearing such debts since the Academies Act was introduced in 2010.

In York, we are still in the beginning of the unfortunate, but probably due to national education policy, unavoidable academy conversions movement.

It is not fair that York would be footing the bill for academy conversions of schools walking away and leave their debt behind.

It would leave the other non-academy schools with the burden of the deficit, because school and council budgets, that are already stretched, will be strained even further.

As our local political powers are very limited to avoid academisation we can just encourage as many of our local schools as possible to stay in the community control which is based on the principle of mutual solidarity and equal learning opportunities.

Cllr Lars Kramm, York Green Party, Micklegate Ward

 

IT will be an eye-opener to the organisers of national charities to learn from Sue Nelson (The Press, September 28) that they have the power to oblige or compel anyone to donate.

That any form of advertising can compel a response is a fantasy believed only by those who have never worked in advertising.

For charitable giving, the only compulsion is that of the potential donor’s conscience.

We are all faced with more requests to donate than we can afford to meet.

Anyone brought up in a faith will know from childhood that they have a duty to help the poor and the afflicted, and will know the anguish of being unable to help when suddenly faced with yet another account of some awful injustice or cruelty.

All those seeking donations for charities are well aware that there is a limit to what any potential donor can give.

I prefer someone to say frankly “No. I don’t give to charities or not to that cause” rather than to offer as an excuse for not putting 10p in the bucket high-minded disgust at the salaries paid to charity officers, or at the money spent making the need or the injustice known to the public.

Maurice Vassie, Cartmans Cottage, Deighton, York

 

IN response to Rachael Maskell’s reply to my previous letter (The Press, September 30), I would like to firstly congratulate her as obviously she has perfected the politician’s art of obfuscation – mayhap at all the other by-elections she stood in prior to York.

Therefore in the spirit of “kinder politics” and “always putting people’s interests ahead of profit” my direct question to her is: How can you find money to potentially accommodate migrants and not find money to help our vulnerable elderly?

It is quite simple, and merely going round talking to people is not the answer.

I too do this but these lovely people and their carers have made their needs and choices perfectly clear in the pages of this paper. They want proper care and investment in their current care/residential homes where they are settled and feel safe.

If we can find the money to house people from other countries, surely we can find it for these people, who all their lives have lived here and paid their taxes, both national and local, here.

Judith Morris, UKIP York, Moorland Road, York

 

I ENTIRELY share the sentiments in Philip Roe’s well-expressed letter (The Press, September 29) about the incident of the “off-putting RAF uniform” at a hospital in Kent.

When I first heard of this episode last week I saw red, well RAF blue, actually.

Ironically, this unfortunate farce over a UK armed forces uniform deemed potentially offensive happened in Kent, Battle of Britain territory supreme, days after the 75th anniversary commemorations to mark and remember that historic and heroic struggle in the air.

For the individual/s responsible for this insult I’d prescribe an intensive course of aerobatics training.

Derek Reed, Middlethorpe Drive, York