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‘There can be no social distancing when you share the only room you can afford with many others’
We’ve got to get our act together if we are to avoid bad housing exacerbating the impact of any future public health crisis – and that means councils must work to maximise housing delivery, writes Eleanor Southwood
Now more than ever, as people grapple with the impact of coronavirus, the importance of a safe place to call home feels more pressing.
Inside Housing has chronicled with great acuity the link between cramped, unsuitable housing and the public health crisis we face today.
There can be no social distancing when you share the only room you can afford with many others. Residents in the London Borough of Brent, like those in Newham and elsewhere, know this first-hand.
We know that the conditions in which some of our poorest residents are living mean their exposure is much greater not just to the novel coronavirus, but to carcinogens and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
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Tonight, too many families across Brent will go to bed in housing that is, frankly, inadequate: poor quality and designed only as a temporary stay, not as a place to call home.
Since lockdown began, Brent has housed more than 250 people more likely to be exposed to the virus because they have been sleeping rough or are at risk of becoming homeless. Like others, we emptied our night shelters and wholeheartedly embraced bringing ‘Everyone In’.
The economic impact of the crisis is hitting hard, too. Nearly 50 per cent of the workforce in the Brent Central constituency is furloughed and many people are facing unstable jobs and reduced hours, and are struggling to make paltry benefits stretch to meet the basic costs of living.
We know we’ve got to get our act together if we are to avoid similarly shocking impacts from any future public health crisis.
Private rental will always be an important part of our local housing market, but it is completely unaffordable for many. The average waiting time for a three-bedroom council home is at least 16 years and we must drastically increase supply.
This has to start with boldly building more. Fortunately, figures from City Hall show that, for the second year running, our work is paying off.
Brent has the highest number of affordable homes under construction in London – with 1,650 started in the past year. We’re investing £300m, supported by £101m in grant from the Greater London authority (GLA).
For the first time in a generation, we have the plans and the funding to build 1,000 new council homes and deliver 4,000 affordable homes with partners who share our vision.
We cannot do this alone. Just before the pandemic, Brent entered an innovative development partnership with Network Homes, a member of the G15 group and a large landlord in the borough.
The collaboration will support the delivery of at least 345 homes owned and managed by the council, using the expertise that Network Homes brings to significantly increase our capacity. The agreement has an estimated construction value of £93m over six years.
Helen Evans, chief executive of Network Homes, shares our enthusiasm for this partnership, and has suggested it is a “prime example of how housing associations and local authorities can work together to tackle the housing crisis”.
Finding homes that people can afford in a broken housing market can feel like an intractable problem. I’m so proud that, for the 146 families we’ve so far moved into new, permanent homes, the municipal dream of council housing is now a reality. It is and will continue to be part of life in Brent.
Eleanor Southwood, lead member for housing and welfare reform, Brent Council
