Putting Local People First: Why We Need a Local Allocation Policy for Housing

Putting Local People First: Why We Need a Local Allocation Policy for Housing

Housing is the issue I hear about more than almost anything else. Families crammed into overcrowded homes. Young people unable to afford to live where they grew up. People spending years on the Council waiting list, with little hope of moving into secure rented housing any time soon.

At the same time, areas like Druridge Bay remain hugely attractive to people moving into the county. It’s no surprise, we live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. But as more people relocate here, local families are too often being pushed out.

That has to change.

I’ve called for the Council to introduce a local allocation policy, a system that gives priority to local people when homes become available. Without this, being born and raised here counts for nothing. People with the same need and the same banding criteria are treated equally, but locals are missing out on homes in their own communities.

Now let me be clear: I will always support prioritising the homeless. But we must also prioritise the people who have lived, worked, and contributed to our communities all their lives. Nobody should be forced away from the place they call home.

This isn’t just a Druridge Bay issue. Across Northumberland, communities are being hollowed out by the rise of holiday homes, second homes and soaring house prices. Too many local people are priced out or overlooked.

And while the Council regularly talks about building “affordable homes,” we all know that “affordable” too often isn’t affordable at all. What we need is more social rent housing, genuinely affordable rented homes that give people security and stability. At the moment, the numbers being built are disgracefully low. But lots of homes people can’t afford.

We need action. We need the Council to step up and start building homes that serve local people first. We need a housing system that values our communities and gives young families a future here in Northumberland.

Let’s build for Northumbrians.