Councillor for St George East Ron Stone has a proposal borrowed from Manchester City Council for pension funds to finance social housing built by local authorities and housing associations. As Ron was taken ill last night this question is put by Old Labour Oxford economist Martin Summers. Acceptance that building social housing would be good for employment, for the economy and for social cohesion. Bristol people talk to Marina Morris on the streets of the city giving their opinions including that the council is corrupt or should be dissolved and others saying they did not know an election was taking place. Keith Cowling from the Bristol Community Land Trust asks how candidates are going to help local people with the skills and who want to, to become their own developers? Why are they not using this route to build affordable housing? Explanation from Keith of what a Community Land Trust is and projected deal to provide new affordable homes at Eastville Park off Fishponds Road. Green candidate Danielle Radice points out that a Central Government Treasury proposal called the âCity Dealâ is taking £1 billion of city council assets and around 180 land and property assets out of local authority management and handing it to a quango to be known as Public Property Board [PDF] run by the business fraternity through the Local Enterprise Partnership. The question being how will the mayor make decisions about public land when itâs being managed by this new quango and out of his or her control? Simon Bale from ISR, Churches for Work and Social Justice, asks how the candidates plan to house homeless people who are mentally ill or addicted to drugs and alcohol? Tony asks candidates to sum up with a question about central governmentâs new benefit cuts: a benefit cap, bedroom tax, withdrawal of council tax relief and the Universal Credit which will replace housing benefit. It is predicted that 171,000 single parents nationally will be forced out of their homes so how are the cityâs most vulnerable going to cope?
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