A CAMPAIGN urging the district council to invest its reserves into tackling West Oxfordshire’s housing crisis is now in full swing – amassing hundreds of supporters in the space of a fortnight.

The community-led campaign, launched with a petition two weeks ago, aims to pressure West Oxfordshire District Council into spending £12m of its usable reserves for ‘proper affordable housing’.

In the past two weeks, 250 people have signed the petition – which will see the issue debated by the full council if it receives support from 1,500 residents.

Luci Ashbourne, 36, an accounts assistant from Ashcombe Crescent in Witney, came up with the idea for the petition, which has been supported by others in the community as well as representatives from three councils.

She said: "We received almost 20 per cent of the signatures needed to trigger a debate at full council within the first 72 hours of launching the petition.

"This is indicative of how important an issue affordable housing is throughout the community.

"Safe, affordable and secure homes should not be a privilege of the wealthiest in our community, but a fundamental right for all.

“The situation as it is simply cannot continue.

"We need housing that we can afford and the district council could free up some money to help make it happen.”

The campaign was started amid growing concerns in Witney relating to housing.

"The group behind the petition have said they constantly hear stories from people struggling to find housing, being placed into unsuitable emergency accommodation or even separated from their families.

District councillor for Witney, Andrew Coles, one of the supporters of the petition, said: “Housing is probably the biggest issue I am contacted about and the housing market is quite frankly out of control.

“Many Witney residents are totally priced out of the market and the cost of renting in Witney is astronomical.

"I see lots of people who are paying high prices for low housing security and I’m struggling to help a number of local families.”

By prompting a debate, which campaigners aim to do by Christmas, the campaigners hope the council will consider lending money to a housing association like Cottsway or investing its reserves into its own housing.

When the petition was first launched, the district council discussed the array of steps the council had taken to improve the housing situation in the district, including its partnership purchase scheme, which allows people to buy a share of a home with the council funding the rest.

The district council has about £12m of uncommitted useable reserves – but said these are revenue funds, often used to support service delivery and are typically used to ensure the council does not have to make sudden knee-jerk cuts in response to central government reductions in funding.

To see the petition go to bit.ly/2ykz8RF