MORE HOMES FOR KEYWORKERS

11.52.15am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 21st May 2003

Dr Jenny Tonge, Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, has called for more help for key workers to find affordable housing.

The MP said: "This week's report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation showed that Richmond is among the eight least affordable London boroughs – even for people on average incomes."

"In the Richmond part of my constituency, a key-worker couple would need to be earning nearly £70,000 a year between them to afford to buy a basic four or five room property. If you are a teacher, a police officer, a nurse or a social worker it is simply beyond your reach. And things are only a little better in Kingston.

"How are we going to staff our hospitals, schools, care homes and police stations if none of the people who work in them can afford to live here?"

"We must make sure that more of the land coming on to the market is earmarked for affordable housing – both for rent and for shared ownership schemes. Selling off little pockets of land for luxury housing as the Tories seem to be bent on doing in Richmond, isn't going to do anything to solve this crisis."

"ENDS"

"For further information please contact Jenny Tonge on pager number 07699 734071 or Serena Hennessy on: 020 8332 7919"

"Notes for Editors:"

"Can't Work – Can't Buy" by Professor Steve Wilcox is published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. A pdf download of the report and summary is available from www.jrf.org.uk"

"Prof Steve Wilcox 01832 323891"

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"Statistics for Richmond upon Thames and Kingston upon Thames (from JRF report)"

"2002 price of 4/5 room prop Income req to purchase Teacher sal as %age of income req. Police sal as %age of income req. Social worker sal as %age of income req. Nurse sal as %age of income req."

"R £220,438 £69,805 37.1 41.8 30.4 31.9"

"K £181,946 £57,616 44.9 50.6 36.9 38.6