A leading councillor has expressed concerns about the condition of private sector housing in the city. Labour's housing spokesperson Coun. Tracey Simpson-Laing was speaking after receiving the findings of the ‘Private Sector House Condition Survey 2008', a survey commissioned by the council.

She said:

"Whilst it may be claimed that private housing in York is better than the national average, that glosses over the serious health concerns that arise from poor quality housing. Poor housing can lead to poor physical and mental health, while damp can cause respiratory problems. Poor housing can result in relationship problems, unemployment and low educational attainment. These are not conditions that York's residents should be experiencing in the early part of the 21st century".

The survey covered 1600 private sector dwellings that are representative of the city's private housing stock. And worryingly it found that almost 1 in 5 houses is
in non- decent condition, and almost 10% exhibit serious hazards.

Coun. Simpson-Laing has called on York residents to take up the help available to them from the government if they live in poor housing in the form of grants and benefits. She urged people to ask their families, friends and neighbours to help the city's older, sometimes vulnerable residents claim the help that is out there. "Often there is help available to people if their circumstances are such that they are at a disadvantage," she added.

She went on to say that she believed all properties should be moving towards double or secondary glazing where appropriate, and that standards should be improved at the planning stage for new builds and conversions, such as with better quality insulation, in order to gradually improve standards overall across the city's stock of housing.

"It is also the responsibility of owners of private rented sector (PRS) properties to ensure their properties are of a decent standard; they have a social responsibility to do so. The same is true for developers converting properties for rent in the PRS. It is those who have low incomes that end up in the non-decent homes in the city, because they cannot afford the step up but are ineligible for social housing".