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Here is our six-point plan for improving the accommodation available to Gypsies, Romanies and Travellers
Gypsies, Romanies and Travellers remain marginalised and disenfranchised in British society. It is time to change that and housing providers have a role to play, writes Boris Worrall
Amid the public debate and demonstrations concerning race equality, thousands of Gypsies, Romanies and Travellers remain largely forgotten, marginalised and too often maligned. For example, the recent Channel 4 Dispatches programme effectively vilified sections of these communities and rightly attracted a wave of complaints – the matter has now been referred to broadcasting regulator Ofcom.
Things have to change. We must recognise that Gypsies, Romanies and Travellers need safe, affordable and sustainable homes where they can live and thrive. Too often, they live in poor housing, face uncertainty and limited life changes, and are in sporadic conflict with other communities. This would be seen as a national scandal if it involved any other section of the population. We should not and cannot allow this to continue.
A group of housing associations, supported by the National Housing Federation (NHF) and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), came together to offer a housing provider response to the issues found in research undertaken for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. We are calling on housing associations, the government and local councils to work together and to commit to making the provision of more homes for Gypsies, Romanies and Travellers a national priority in housing policy, planning and funding.
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We have proposed six measures to make this happen.
- One of the critical factors in delivering high-quality social housing for these groups is local political leadership and support. Previous training programmes for councillors – such as the one funded by the Local Government Association (LGA) – have been effective. We want to work with the government and the LGA to refresh training for local councillors.
- The capital and ongoing management costs of delivering sites accommodation can be significantly higher than those of general needs housing. We want to work with Homes England to prioritise and allocate funding and share best practice through the NHF, CIH and LGA to deliver new sites.
- Planners have a critical role to play. They should focus on the art of the possible and embrace the challenge, rather than park this in the “too difficult” tray. The government should set clear guidelines and targets for planning authorities, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) should continue to work on developing a strategy for Gypsies, Romanies and Travellers.
- We need clear and consistent communication from ministers about their support for providing homes for Gypsies, Romanies and Travellers, and a focus on positive examples of where it has worked. We will work with MHCLG to develop a national strategy and help the government make a firm and clear commitment to tackle discrimination and negative stereotypes.
- There are fewer than 10 housing associations that have sites or are actively developing new site homes for Gypsies, Romanies and Travellers. We will convene a meeting of senior figures from across the sector, including the NHF, CIH, Homes England, the LGA and MHCLG, and community representatives, to agree how to increase the delivery of much needed new sites across a larger cohort of housing providers.
- Current policy and practice regarding the treatment of Gypsies, Romanies and Travellers by local authorities and the police is too often confused, counter-productive and very costly, particularly that related to unauthorised encampments. There are social and financial benefits to adopting “negotiated stopping” – the government should support this by funding more pilots in line with those that have already seen early success through negotiated stopping.
Providing sufficient accommodation won’t be easy. It will take time. But we can’t allow the housing disadvantages faced by Gypsies, Romanies and Travellers to continue on our collective watch.
Boris Worrall, chief executive, Rooftop Housing Group
