Council Leader reputes MP’s claims on homeless

Councillor Colin Lambert, Leader of Rochdale’s Labour-controlled council, has rebutted Labour MP Simon Danczuk’s claims that the council has made mistakes in the handling of what he described as Rochdale ‘homelessness crisis’.

Councillor Lambert lays the blame at the hands of the coalition government: “The Conservative/Lib Dem coalition has hit us hard with the deep cuts to public funding and the loss of jobs and security for hard working families.

“The anger at the increase needs to be directed at the heart of Government who are pursuing policies which have taken us into a double dip recession. More and more families are losing their jobs and facing the prospect of hard times ahead.

“We have a robust policy to help prevent hard working families becoming homeless and policies to rehouse people when they become homeless.”

“It is wrong to suggest that it is council policies that are making people homeless or that we are not providing for the homeless.

“The CEO Jim Taylor and I had a very useful meeting with three members of the ‘Chill-Out’ campaign and I am sure we can work together.”

Heywood and Middleton MP Jim Dobbin told Rochdale Online: “This Government has introduced policies which are hitting hard working families. Unless there is a u-turn from this Government, we will see more and more families suffer.

“Loss of job security and severe cuts to public funding will always affect families and communities in an adverse way.

“I do not lay the blame at the door of local authorities. If you look at what is happening across the country you will see that in a number of local authorities in the South of England they are attempting to re-house residents in the Midlands and the North. This is a National problem, with the blame sitting squarely on the shoulders of the Government.

“Let’s work alongside Chill-Out and refocus our attack, where it belongs, on a Government who undermine the security of families and local communities. “

‘Chill-Out’ co-organiser Shirley Kennedy told Rochdale Online: “Although we appreciate the fact that the council is operating against massive government funding cuts, the fact remains that homelessness in the borough has increased by 200 per cent in a single year, according to House of Commons figures. Thirteen groups dealing with this growing issue have lost their contracts with the council and our campaign remains deeply concerned.”

“We welcome the statement from Jim Dobbin about working alongside our campaign.”

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/69677/mp-slams-policy-on-rochdales-homeless-at-last