Everyone has the right to live in accommodation that is safe, warm and
suitable for their needs. Council planning and policy should create self-reliant communities with a mix of tenures and affordability in each area. Tenants and lease holders should have real democratic control over how their housing is managed. New developments should be energy- efficient and there should be a programme of insulation and renovation for existing homes.

In Sheffield

Since 2000 house prices have risen four times faster than wages. Nearly twothirds of Sheffield households are priced out of the market and the number of officially homeless people is growing year on year. We welcome the renovation of areas such as Park Hill, but not turning 80% of the properties into luxury flats which most of the people living there now cannot afford. Meanwhile, Sheffield Homes continue to perform badly on their Decent Homes Investment Project. Owner-occupiers and leaseholders are being left out, the quality varies a great deal between different areas and some basic repairs and improvements are not included in the project.

Our local Green Party members will:

• Monitor local housing issues and changes in Council policy
• Campaign for affordable housing and the end of homelessness

Our Green Councillors have:

• Helped develop policy which led to interim planning policy guidancerequiring at least 15% affordable housing in all large developments.
• Scrutinised Decent Homes contract work for tenants and leaseholders.

Our Green Councillors will:

• Scrutinise the performance of the Decent Homes project and support owner-occupiers who want to buy into the scheme where appropriate.
• Support high density housing in the city centre but lobby for adequate
  community facilities such as green spaces, nurseries and GP surgeries.
• Campaign for families with children to be given ground floor
  accommodation.
• Challenge demolitions of council properties and call for repair and renovation instead.
• Support vulnerable private and council tenants, by using money that has been previously wasted trying to prove that people evicted by private landlords are intentionally homeless.
• Highlight the impact of student and multiple occupancy housing on communities.
• Push the Council to be more proactive on improving homes, such as giving advice on insulation and grants, for all householders.
• Push for the Council to keep to the 25% affordable housing target in the 2007 review, and for Housing Mart Renewal areas to meet this target rather than the current 15%