The fast-rising shadow Housing Secretary, Katie Lam, has launched a blistering attack on the campaigning charity Shelter.
The charity has been accused in the mainstream media for allegedly seeking to re-fashion the comments of a case study to suit what critics call a political agenda in support of migration.
On the Conservative Home website, Lam writes: “Just this week, it emerged that Shelter, a taxpayer-funded homelessness charity, had tried to co-opt the personal testimony of a formerly homeless veteran to push pro-migrant propaganda.
“That veteran wanted to talk about his military service, his subsequent homelessness, and his experience of PTSD. Shelter told him that this was ‘exactly the sort of story they were looking for’.
“And yet Shelter employees tried to get him to change his statement, to “address” the fact that “people conflate veterans being homeless with migrants ‘getting homes’”.
“In other words, they tried to turn the heartfelt testimony of a veteran into a piece of political propaganda, about a subject he had never mentioned, in service of their ideological commitment to supporting immigration.
“This alone would be bad enough. It’s a complete insult to that veteran, and to those who’ve donated money to Shelter on the premise that they exist to help people off the streets.
“But it’s particularly galling to see this kind of ideological capture of a homelessness charity.”
In recent years Shelter has attracted criticism from some in the property industry for its outspoken criticism of private landlords and letting agents.
However in February of this year the charity’s new chief executive, Sarah Elliott, told an industry publication that the organisaiton would be “evolving” its approach, suggesting it would be less oppositional.
Yesterday morning Landlord Today asked Shelter for its response to the Katie Lam article, but was told that “we won’t be able to provide a comment on this occasion.”
Meanwhile the shadow Housing Secretary has reiterated her party’s pledge to scrap stamp duty if it comes too power.
She also pledged to cut the cost of new-build homes by up to £50,000 by slashing net zero and red tape for house builders.
Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, says in response: “Propertymark welcomes the focus on increasing housing supply, simplifying planning and making it easier for people to move home.
“Our members see first-hand how delays, complexity and uncertainty in the planning system can add costs and hold back development, so measures to make planning faster and more proportionate, particularly for smaller housebuilders, are welcome.
“Scrapping Stamp Duty would also remove a significant barrier to moving home and could help improve mobility across the housing market.
“We also welcome efforts to reduce unnecessary costs and complexity for housebuilders, but scrapping the Future Homes Standard altogether needs careful consideration. The priority should be proportionate regulation that supports new housing without adding avoidable costs or delays, while ensuring homes remain fit for the future.
“Ultimately, planning reform alone will not solve the housing crisis. The test of these proposals will be whether they actually deliver more homes and improve affordability, particularly for first-time buyers and renters.
“The £50,000 saving claim will also need to be tested against whether those savings reach consumers. Furthermore, policy makers must not make cost saving at the expense of quality and standards, a balance will need to be struck.”
