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Gavin Smart is chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing
Our 10-point plan for more and better homes
Today, the Chartered Institute of Housing is urging all political parties to commit to a 10-point plan on housing, including a commitment to build 90,000 homes for social rent a year. Gavin Smart reveals the steps the next government must take to deliver a housing system that works
The Chartered Institute of Housing has unveiled a 10-point plan it wants political parties to sign up to to help tackle the housing crisis, including a commitment to #BuildSocial. @GavinSmartCIH reveals reveals the steps needed to deliver a functioning housing system #UKhousing“As the #BuildSocial campaign highlights, we need a long-term plan to meet housing need. The forthcoming general election provides an opportunity for parties of all colours to put housing at the heart of the recovery," @GavinSmartCIH on the political commitments #UKhousing needsDecent and affordable homes make our lives better – providing the safe, secure foundation we all need. But shortages and unequal access mean that too many people (often the most vulnerable) are forced to live in overpriced, insecure and poor-quality homes.
We’re all paying the price for this. Poor housing costs the NHS £1.4bn each year. It negatively impacts a child’s education and has long-term effects on incomes and employment.
At the heart of the issue is supply. Housebuilding has failed to keep pace with demand for years. At the same time, homeownership and social renting have fallen, while private renting (generally less secure and more expensive) has increased.
Latest forecasts suggest that we could see more than 300,000 British households experiencing the worst forms of homelessness in 2023. A shocking one in five children are living in overcrowded, unaffordable or unsuitable homes.
Added to supply pressures, with an ageing housing stock, the need to decarbonise and tackle energy inefficiency of the residential sector is more urgent than ever and the cost of inaction is considerable. Nearly seven million UK households were in fuel poverty last year, and forecasts for this winter look no better.
The cost of living crisis is a cost of housing crisis. We need political commitment to turn things around.
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At the Chartered Institute of Housing, we’re urging all political parties to commit to a long-term plan for housing that recognises it as the foundation for creating and supporting healthy and sustainable communities.
We can do this with a focus on more homes and better homes.
More homes
1. Invest in more social homes
We need 340,000 new homes each year in England to 2031, including 90,000 for social rent. The supply challenge cannot be fixed quickly, but the government must commit to increasing the supply of truly affordable homes to rent and buy.
2. Reduce homelessness and use of temporary accommodation
Investment in social housing is the most cost-effective way to tackle homelessness and reduce housing benefit. The government should develop and resource a cross-departmental strategy to end homelessness in all its forms, with a focus on prevention.
3. Improve the planning process to speed up new homes
Stop-start planning reform has resulted in uncertainty. The government must provide clarity and consistency in the planning framework, backed by a comprehensive resource and skills strategy.
4. Invest in more supported housing
Specialist and supported housing reduces reliance on more costly public services and helps people to live well within their community. The government should provide a national ringfenced funding stream for housing-related support to address the supported housing deficit and support the sustainability of existing and new supported housing schemes.
5. Invest in affordable homeownership
The need for affordable homeownership opportunities and support has never been greater. The government should invest in strengthening the shared ownership offer and support mortgage holders.
Better homes
6. Provide sustainable funding for landlords to maintain decent homes
The success of the original Decent Homes Standard (DHS) programme was the additional and targeted long-term funding to reverse years of underinvestment. We need investment in a renewed DHS programme, which would be offset by the benefits arising from better housing conditions, with savings on health and social care.
7. Improve security and standards for private renters
The private rented sector is now the second largest tenure in England. We support government action to drive improvements through the Renters’ Reform Bill and call on the next government to commit to delivering on these reforms.
8. Accelerate a fair and equitable transition to net zero homes
Significant progress must be made in the next decade to decarbonise the UK’s housing stock at the pace and scale needed. The government must drive the investment needed and commit to a 10-year cross-tenure retrofit programme.
9. Prioritise building safety
The tragic fire at Grenfell Tower provides a constant reminder of the importance of building safety: everyone should feel safe in home. The government should ensure financial support for social landlords in rectifying building safety defects they did not create and protect leaseholders.
10. Strengthen the safety net
Our welfare system should exist to support households, but low rates of social security are pushing people into poverty and driving destitution. The government should undertake an independent review of the welfare system and commit to ensuring the basic rate of benefits to cover life essentials.
Our 10-point plan unpacks this further, with more detail set out in our strategy for housing.
As the #BuildSocial campaign highlights, we need a clear long-term plan, backed by targets, to meet housing need. The current situation is extremely challenging, but the forthcoming general election provides an opportunity for parties of all colours to put housing at the heart of the UK’s economic and social recovery.
We’ll be discussing this further at a session we’re hosting at Labour Party conference on 9 November.
Gavin Smart, chief executive, Chartered Institute of Housing
Sign up for the Social Housing Annual Conference and Inside Housing Development and Regeneration Summit
New for 2023, the Social Housing Annual Conference is joining forces with the Inside Housing Development and Regeneration Summit.
Join 600 attendees with a shared vision of planning and funding the strategic future of their business and the delivery of quality, affordable homes. If you work within a leadership or development role in the housing sector then this is the must-attend event of the year.
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