And that's why we committed ourselves to make all social housing decent by 2010. And we are on track to do that - with over half a million homes already improved.
Low demand and abandonment
So our first priority was to deal with the £19 billion backlog across the country.
Now we must tackle the fundamental problems of high demand in the south and the collapse of housing demand in some of our most deprived communities.
Can I deal first with the action we propose to tackle housing market collapse.
I am talking about communities where properties have become almost worthless. Where people on low incomes have become trapped in negative equity. In the worst cases whole streets have been abandoned.
In these places there is no shortage of housing. But there is no sustainable community.
But low demand requires a new approach, to recreate places where people want to live - not leave. This means tackling not just housing but where we can, rebuilding sustainable communities.
We are already investing £5 billion over the next three years to help regenerate these areas.
And we have set up partnerships in nine of the worst low demand areas.
And today I'm announcing a new fund of £500 million to help those partnerships over the next three years.
In some areas the only option will be to demolish homes that are obsolete. We will make this easier for residents.
Home owners already get back the value of their home and the costs of moving. We now propose to increase compensation for the disturbance of moving home by over £1000 - the first increase since 1991.
We are also proposing to prevent the automatic renewal of planning consents, which will reduce development on greenfield sites in low demand areas.
Step change in housing supply
Mr Speaker, the issues in high demand areas are different.
Rising house prices and shortages of affordable homes, especially in London and the South East are having a damaging impact on public services and the country's economic performance.
We need a step change in housing supply, reversing the trend of the last 30 years.
Two years ago, after extensive consultation, we said in RPG9 that local authorities should provide for new homes at a rate of 62,000 each year in London and the wider south east.
We put in place a "plan, monitor and manage approach" to planning, moving away from the failed "predict and provide" approach of the past.
We said that if we used more brownfield land at a higher density we could build more homes on the same amount of land.
Mr Speaker, we are meeting our 60% brownfield target and will continue to do so.
And we are taking steps to push up density of build in the south east.
These changes - together with the £350 million extra resources we are putting into improving planning and design will increase the supply of new housing on brownfield land and the quality of what we build and where we build.
Good planning means the right communities with the right homes and jobs in the right place.
I emphasise, "right place". I want to make it absolutely clear that this is not homes everywhere and anywhere. This is homes in sustainable communities to meet the shortfall in supply. Not suburban sprawl. Not soulless estates. Not dormitory towns.
Protecting the Countryside
Mr Speaker, I recognise and share the genuine concern about our countryside.
Can I remind the House that it was a Labour Government that introduced the greenbelt.
And it was this Labour Government that has provided access to the countryside and proposed the first new national park in the South Downs - which is being opposed by the members opposite.
And it was this Government that added an extra 30,000 hectares of greenbelt land- that's an area the size of the Norfolk Broads National Park.
And we are now going further. Today I am giving a guarantee to maintain or increase greenbelt land in every region of England.
And we are creating a new body- the Land Restoration Trust - to turn 1,500 hectares of derelict land in our towns and cities - new urban green spaces.
And we will provide resources for English Partnerships and the Regional Development Agencies to reclaim over 1,400 hectares of brownfield land each year - that's an area the size of a typical town.
Thames Gateway and Growth Areas
Mr Speaker, in July I announced four priority growth areas to help meet the shortfall in housing supply in the south east. Each of these offer an exciting opportunity for new design led sustainable communities - like the Greenwich Millennium Village.
Each maximising the use of brownfield land - accommodating growth in a sustainable way, with jobs, housing and regeneration going together.
The Thames Gateway alone is the largest brownfield site in Europe. Plans for its development have been on the table for years.
We must now turn these plans into action. So today, I am announcing new seed corn investment of £446 million. This will attract extra private investment.
With our partners we will set up new local development agencies in East London and Thurrock which will increase the pace of development
Mr Speaker, we are also investing £164 million over the next three years in the other three growth areas:
Milton Keynes-south midlands, London-Stansted-Cambridge, and Ashford.
The 4 growth areas, with London, have the potential to deliver 300,000 more jobs and an extra 200,000 homes over the next 15-20 years. We must take that opportunity.
Affordable Housing
Mr Speaker, all parts of the county need affordable housing, both for rent and for purchase. We are making £5 billion of our housing investment money available for more affordable housing over the next three years.
This includes at least £1 billion more for key worker housing - trebling the current rate of investment.
And it includes extra resources for affordable homes built using fast-track, modern methods of building and design.
Empty Homes
We will also tackle the problem of empty homes.
In London and the South East 70,000 privately owned homes have been empty for over 6 months. This is not acceptable.
The House will be aware that local authorities can lease empty properties on a voluntary basis. It is our intention that councils should be able to bring empty properties back into use through compulsory leasing, as recommended by the Select Committee.
I also intend to allow local authorities to end Council Tax discounts on empty homes.
Rural Housing
Mr Speaker, many rural areas also suffer from acute shortages of affordable housing. So we are increasing the number of affordable homes built in small rural communities.
And we have changed the regulations to make it easier to keep homes bought under the Right to Buy for local people.
Home ownership
The Government is committed to home ownership - which has increased by 1 million since 1997. But we also want to protect the social housing stock.
Right to Buy is one way to help people into home ownership. But there are others that do not involve the loss of a social home. I believe we could make better use of these schemes.
That is why today I am asking the Housing Corporation to lead a new Home Ownership Taskforce to advise on ways of helping more tenants into home ownership, using the whole range of existing ownership schemes, without reducing the amount of social housing.
Decent Homes in decent liveable places
Sustainable communities need a safe and attractive local environment.
We have already given local authorities an extra £1 billion in the Local Government Funding Settlement to improve the local environment and cultural services.
I am now backing that up with more funding. Over the next three years we will give:
· £50 million for neighbourhood wardens to help people feel safer
· £41million to drive up the quality of skills and urban design.
· £70 million for community-led programmes to improve neighbourhoods
· And £89 million to help local authorities to transform the quality of their parks and public spaces
All this will be supported by the proposals we will bring forward in our forthcoming Anti-Social Behaviour White Paper and Bill - tackling issues that undermine our communities.
Decent homes
Mr Speaker, the most basic requirement of a sustainable community is a decent home.
That's why:
· We are making sure that tenants will be involved right from the start in decisions about how their homes are improved.
· Why we are investing £2.8 billion over the next three years to improve council housing.
· Why we are making the Private Finance Initiative easier to use, and providing £685 million of new PFI credits to refurbish local authority homes.
· Why we are providing an extra £60 million to improve conditions in private housing.
· And why we are providing £260 million to tackle the problem of temporary bed and breakfast accommodation.
We also want to improve conditions for people in privately owned homes, especially older people and those on low incomes.
As the House has often said, there are inadequate powers to tackle bad private landlords - who are making life a misery for too many of our people.
I will publish draft legislation to license all Houses in Multiple Occupation, and introduce a selective licensing scheme to tackle bad landlords in low demand areas.
In advance of legislation we are funding new pilot schemes to target bad landlords.
Delivery
Mr Speaker, the step change I have described requires a different approach - which links housing with regeneration, growth, transport, public services, and good design. It also requires major reforms of our system of housing finance.
We must move away from the top-down approach of the past and de-centralise our policies and programmes so we can deliver regional solutions to regional problems.
I am pleased to tell the House that for the first time we are publishing 9 regional daughter documents which set out what this action plan means for all our regions.
As I said in July, we will move towards pooling housing spend in regional pots. Housing Strategies will now be drawn up at regional level by new Regional Housing Boards involving key partners.
English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation will also work together at the regional and national level, so that finding the land is directly linked with providing the housing.
Conclusion
Mr Speaker, this is a comprehensive programme of action for sustainable communities that I hope will command support across this House.
It's backed with substantial resources - £22 billion - a 40% increase over three years and more than double the plans we inherited. That's a step change in resources by anybody's standards.
But it's just a start. This is an enormous challenge for all of us. It's about people and the places where they live, it's about raising the quality of life. It's about working in partnership. It's about taking a different approach. It's about creating sustainable communities. I commend this to the House.
