COUNCIL tenants from South East Cornwall have been to Westminster to lobby MPs for a fairer deal on housing subsidy, which could see an extra £3 million a year invested in local council housing.
Pat Jago from Callington joined four other members of Caradon Tenants' Forum in providing evidence to the House of Commons council housing group inquiry on the pressing need for the whole of council housing rents to be spent on local housing stocks.
They were accompanied by Caradon district councillor Jim Candy and Tania Horrocks, Caradon's community development officer.
The group also met with South East Cornwall MP Colin Breed to discuss the issue and the early day motion on building more council housing.
Chair of the forum John Bailey, who led the delegation, said: 'Most people do not realise that council housing is funded solely by council tenants' rent. In Caradon, those rents total around £10.5 million a year, but instead of allowing all the money to be re-invested in maintaining and improving local council houses, the government claws back over £3 million annually from local tenants. That's £16.50 a week per council tenant household in the Caradon area.
'Re-investing that money in local council housing wouldn't just benefit tenants. It would also bring much-needed work for tradesmen and businesses in South East Cornwall and help to counter some of the effects of the recession.'