We all want where we live to feel like home, to feel safe and secure. That’s why the Greens are making better, affordable housing a top priority.

Oxford has the least affordable housing in the UK. Costs in other parts of the County are also rising inexorably.

The housing crisis is affecting everyone; tenants are being ripped off by dodgy landlords, homelessness is on the increase and prospective owners are being priced out of the area. At the same time, funding for those in housing need is being cut.

Meanwhile, the super rich are speculating on housing and profiteering at our expense.

Many also suffer in cold and mouldy properties facing rising energy bills and soaring rents.

Greens will:

• Abolish the cruel and unfair bedroom tax
• Building 500,000 new Council homes
• Cap rents and introduce longer tenancies to provide greater protection for renters
• An end to £7bn of tax breaks for landlords
• Better insulated, energy efficient homes

Average house prices in Oxford are set to break £0.5m barrier this year adding to the worsening housing crisis in the City.

As the Westgate planning application went before the planning committee, I addressed the committee as the local councillor for the area (Carfax), mentioning several issues. I focussed mainly on the travesty which is the lack of affordable housing. This is what I said: