Owen Jones' Scathing Assessment Of The Housing Crisis In Britain
12 August 2017, 13:55 | Updated: 22 August 2017, 09:55
It's willpower that's lacking, not money, says Owen Jones, in this scathing assessment of the housing crisis in Britain.
A Guardian Columnist recently suggested Britain has gone too far with the "vilification" of landlords amid the housing crisis.
Standing in for Maajid Nawaz, Owen Jones asked his listeners whether landlords are the cause of generation rent's misery, or is it the government?
Owen then gave his take on why there's a lack of affordable housing - and he didn't hold back.
He said: "The housing crisis in Britain is something I'm so passionate about, because so many other social evils come out of it.
"Look, I'm a plastic northerner as I keep saying. Live in London now, sorry about that to all my ex-northern compatriots.
"But I'll cycle round like the cliche I am, and I'll see these buildings, these luxury flats, where all the windows are dark because no one lives there, in a city, one of the richest cities that has ever existed, where one in four children grow up in an overcrowded home.
"And if you grow up in an overcrowded home, it inflicts damage on your mental health, you're more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression.
"You're more likely to have health conditions like asthma. Your educational attainment is damaged, and by damaging the potential of the next generation, you damage the potential of the country."
Owen continued: "You end up with a country where people who are told by politicians they are 'playing by the rules, doing the right thing'.
"They get up in the morning, they work hard, but they still can't afford a proper decent home of their own.
"They put off having a family, they worry they can't have the security for their kids. The idea of a home that they can buy is a fantastical notion, and because the council homes aren't built they can't get those either.
"This is a rich country. We can afford, surely, to solve this crisis. It's willpower that's lacking, not money, not resources."
