Horden, my home, is crying out for change | Letters
Robert Lodge calls for action to tackle the ‘housing spiral’ in the County Durham village where he grew up, but is now leaving at 18As an 18-year-old who has grown...
By Guardian Staff · The Guardian Opinion
Robert Lodge calls for action to tackle the ‘housing spiral’ in the County Durham village where he grew up, but is now leaving at 18 As an 18-year-old who has grown up in Horden and lived on a street due to be knocked down because of a compulsory purchase order, the housing problem is a stark but unsurprising one that I’ve only seen get worse throughout my lifetime – especially after ownership of the homes went from housing associations to private landlords when I was a kid ( A house for £1? What a day at a property auction taught me about the UK housing crisis, 18 May ). I love where I am from so much, but it is an area crying out for change, and the amount of press attention that Horden gets shows it. I myself feel part of the problem as I am relocating to the saturated north-west to start a degree apprenticeship in Manchester – not because I wanted to move away, but I felt as if there wasn’t the same opportunity at home, although I will certainly move back. Continue reading...