Housing needs you

House Proud, the joint campaign from Inside Housing and the Chartered Institute of Housing to place housing at the heart of the forthcoming election and beyond, is enjoying phenomenal support.

In its first month it has stacked up an incredible 144 supporters. With a potential 12 weeks to go until polling day we look well on track to smash our target of 250 backers.

We’ve already met one of our three aims. The housing minister and his two shadows have each promised to make sure their party’s election manifesto contains a housing pledge. And they’ve all signed our online petition for good measure.

While they were at it they hopefully took the opportunity to read some of the comments and suggestions posted by other House Proud backers - those of you working on the front line. In case they, and all the others striving for election this year, missed them we’ve tried to cram in as many as possible on this spread. And we’ve also printed your suggestions for how our political-backers should word the housing pledges they’ve promised.

Don’t worry: if you haven’t sent in your ideas yet, it’s not too late Get your suggestion to us by Friday 19 February and it may be included in a web poll to decide the best of the lot. The winning entry will become the House Proud Pledge, sent to all the main political parties for inclusion in their manifestos.

House Proud is turning political heads and gaining momentum. Let’s not stop here.

It is vital that politicians of all political persuasions understand the importance of housing to the health, social and economic wellbeing of the country. At a time of limited resources, housing should be classified alongside health and education as one of the government’s sacred cows. I therefore fully support Inside Housing’s campaign.
Alan Humphreys, group chief executive, Grand Union Housing Group

I work in a foyer and I see first hand, daily, what a difference good quality housing makes to peoples lives.
Vicky Downie, Salvation Army Housing Association

Never mind the ducks, the rest of the country needs good housing too. And getting that right has more spin-offs than Simon Cowell. If you want as many votes as he engineers, do more than the decent thing!
David Rigby, New Charter Housing Trust

It’s impossible to underestimate the positive impact a fixed address, a warm secure home and an affordable rent can have on an individual’s life. Affordable social housing with a responsible landlord is essential for many people from all walks of life and cutting funding for housing would only exacerbate many of the social ills and deprivation many members of our society are already suffering. Don’t cut funding for housing.

Glyn Young, Bolton at Home

If only in terms of maintaining community stability and in tackling anti-social behaviour, the role of those involved in managing social housing is vital.
Peter Jackson, managing director, Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group

We remain desperate for affordable homes in rural England - please support us by encouraging and providing financial support for development of homes for local people in rural villages who are being pushed out by high costs.
Arlene Kersley, rural housing enabler, Berkshire

Considering I live in a rather appalling rented HMO and that my local Liberal Democrats have been really pushing this issue, I’d like to see it countered across the UK by all parties. Structurally sound and affordable housing is severely lacking across the country and no amount of new builds is going to help. As a student, do you think I can afford to live in one, or that there’s one close to my university? No would be that answer, and I’m not the only one.
Mark Whiley, Reading

We are a federation of tenant and resident associations who will be using the House Proud campaign - including the stats - to promote housing as the key issue in the general and local elections.
Kevin Veness, staff member, Hammersmith and Fulham Federation of Tenants’ and Residents’ Associations

I’m a district councillor in Lewes. I’ve spent a lot of my life in housing co-ops, which are great communities in a world where people in many places barely know their neighbours.
Ian Eiloart, Lewes Council

Good health and good housing have always been inextricably linked. It is hard to believe that politicians may fail to make that link when
considering policies that will see us through the next decade.
Carol Wrate, strategic enabling officer, Canterbury Council

Housing is a key requirement for decent civilised society. Government of whichever political persuasion needs to properly support the provision of new housing and the repair and improvement of existing homes.
Robin Lawler, chief executive, Northwards Housing

We know that good housing and support services are vital to preventing the need for later, more costly and unsustainable care and health solutions.
But while we can all quote examples of good practice of housing providers working on solutions with health and care colleagues, we also need a co-ordinated national and strategic approach to planning for the right housing which is integrated with strategic health and care issues which will effectively respond to the demographic time bomb.
Craig Stirrat, head of housing planning and policy, Aberdeen Council

Public investment in housing has been key to economic recovery and saving the house building industry. To withdraw funding too rapidly will put the housing market at risk and jeopardise our ability to meet housing need.
Catherine Stubbins, consultant, Celandine Strategic Housing

Good quality housing is a cornerstone for building healthy communities where people can thrive. Good quality housing is vital to the health, economic, and social wellbeing of the country - not to mention the positive impact it can have on helping to raise educational standards of
our children.
John Morris, head of housing services, Bedford Council

Housing is one of the building blocks of society - it affects our health, education and relationships. Our sense of being - who we are - is linked to our housing situation. While many take our housing for granted there are many in society for whom housing is a dream. A dream to start a new life, to feel secure or to simply be at peace with themselves. We urge all political parties to understand that unless housing is part of their equation many government initiatives will fail.
Nigel Parrington, chief executive, Salvation Army Housing Association

A good home is the springboard to a fulfilled life. Yet many live in poor homes or do not have one at all. That’s many thousands of missed opportunities and personal tragedies. People are resourceful, but need the opportunity to find or make a decent home for themselves. Any decent
party that aims to be in government should see it their top priority to help them achieve that.
David Ireland, chief executive, Empty Homes Agency

A decent home is so much more than just bricks and mortar. I am delighted to support this campaign to remind all political parties of the importance of housing in the wider social policy agenda.
Ann Santry, chief executive, Sovereign Housing Group

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