CARERS’
PLIGHT – Lack of affordable homes major factor in elderly care crisis
Shropshire Councillor Heather Kidd (Chirbury and Worthen) has slammed Shropshire Council and the Westminster Government for tackling one of the key factors behind the Adult Social Care Issue in rural areas – affordable housing
Heathers said: “We are facing a very serious problem with care of the elderly in Shropshire. The Council is currently running a deficit of £9m on its social care budget and one of the biggest problems driving costs is the lack of carers in rural areas. Over the last decades the cost of housing has soared in rural areas as many people retire to the Countryside.
“Both the Conservative run Council in Shropshire and their Counterparts in Westminster have singularly failed to deal with the desperate need for affordable homes both to buy and rent in rural areas. This has effectively driven many of our young people into urban areas to live – the only place they can afford to get a home. This in turn drives up costs of bringing care workers to the countryside.
“The Conservative Government has only made the situation worse by tinkering with affordable housing requirements in rural areas, making it easier for developers to build large houses.
“The Government must find ways to free up land for local needs housing otherwise we will be facing a major social and economic crisis in the Countryside.
“I would make a plea that rural communities sustainability must now be made a priority for the council if we are to balance the generations in the settlements, provide housing for key workers – including carers- and this will then reduce travel costs for many service areas in Shropshire Council. Our rural areas face a bleak future if we do no heed this.