Tories trash social housing

Seems the Tories have decided to effectively dispose of social housing, once and for all, justifying this attack on the state in the name of austerity:

The social housing budget in England is to be cut by more than 50% in the Spending Review, the BBC understands.

Council housing "for life" will also be phased out, with the needs of new council tenants assessed over time.

Despite the cuts, ministers are likely to set a target of building 150,000 affordable homes, changing the way councils charge rent to finance them.

Tenants will be charged nearer the going market rate, to release cash for the building programme. (1)

I can see this having some very unpleasant consequences way down stream. Especially since it sends out the message that social housing is only for the scum at the bottom, so if you're in it, yo umust be scum. Moving people out of social housing if their situation improves is going to create social housing ghettos, with absolutely no cohesion, where only the dross live, instead of the vaguely aspirational communities that social housing was intended to create.

And we're supposed to believe charging nearer to the market rate is going to fund a meaningful building program? Fuck, I don't mind the bastards lying to use, but it's insulting they think we'll believe such obvious lies.

1 - "Social housing budget 'to be cut in half'," unattributed article. Published by the BBC, 19th of October, 2010. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11570923)