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Build Social: it’s time for the sector to take direct action
The whole sector needs to mobilise to fight for more social homes, writes David Bogle
The whole sector needs to mobilise to fight for more social homes, writes David Bogle #UKhousingAs the number of children in temporary accommodation (139,000) climbs to record levels, rough sleeping continues to increase and refugees are evicted from hotels, the need for more decent, affordable homes to rent becomes even more acute.
Meanwhile, housing associations – for long the principal providers of new affordable housing – have been cutting back their development programmes in the face of increased building costs and high interest rates.
The social housing sector has to put the supply of new homes to meet overwhelming housing need at the front and centre of our campaigning in the run up to the general election. Housing associations are in a strong position to deliver new homes, utilising their skills, experience and resources.
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As the Better Social Housing Review put it: “In a system under pressure, housing associations need to go back to test their performance against their core purpose – to provide decent, safe homes for those who can’t afford the market.”
There is an emerging consensus in the sector and among the homelessness charities around the campaign for 90,000 new homes for social rent a year for 10 years. Inside Housing’s Build Social campaign is calling for a manifesto commitment from the political parties to this target.
Homes for Cathy fully supports this campaign. Delivery of this number of new social rent homes a year would make a huge contribution to ending the use of temporary accommodation, which not only causes serious hardship to the families concerned, but places a massive financial burden on local authorities.
The target is aspirational – requiring around £9bn to £10bn a year in government funding and a very large step up in delivery.
But some very substantial rise in the delivery of homes for rent is desperately needed if we are not to see an even greater housing and homelessness crisis in the months and years ahead.
We have a chance to make an overwhelming case to the political parties for this investment.
Somehow we need to mobilise the whole social housing and homelessness sector – tenants, staff, volunteers, Board members, local politicians – behind this campaign in the run up to the general election. This could involve lobbying MPs and aspiring MPs/candidates; holding housing hustings; engaging with TV, radio and media through phone-ins, writing letters etc.
The crisis is so acute that we surely need to consider a wide range of actions – including direct action – to seize the attention of the public, the media and the politicians.
David Bogle, chair, Homes for Cathy; chief executive, Hightown
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