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We want to build a broad coalition to support the new ‘Homes for Heroes’ campaign
Coronavirus key workers should be rewarded with secure housing. Our new campaign sets out a plan to build 100,000 homes for them, writes Kate Davies
During World War I and World War II, the British people felt a huge debt of gratitude to the brave men and women who had fought on our behalf.
A similar feeling exists today. NHS and other essential staff have used crowded public transport and worked on the frontline in care homes and hospitals, in distribution centres and shops, on farms and on the streets to protect us all and keep us safe. Most of them are low paid.
In order to help repay the debt we owe, we would like to propose the rapid construction of thousands of homes that our heroes can afford. Some at social rent levels for people on minimum wages and some at higher, intermediate rents for households earning £40,000 or more.
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The homes need to be affordable, but we also need a lot of homes quickly. Some existing stock could be repurposed or refurbished. But the best way to get these homes into the hands of essential workers is for the government to act decisively.
During the pandemic we have seen how quickly restrictive regulations can be unlocked if there is a need. We think ‘Homes for Heroes’ should be fast-tracked so that we can show our support now, lest we forget.
What sort of homes are needed? One thing I have heard a lot during lockdown is how fortunate people feel if they have a garden – a safe, private space they can escape to when public areas are restricted, closed or too crowded to use safely.
If there is a a garden, children can play outside, enjoy the weather and nature; residents can grow vegetables and entertain their friends; or build a home office or shed. On the other hand, people who are stuck in small flats with children have felt trapped, unsafe and scared during the pandemic.
We won’t be able to build houses or maisonettes with gardens for everyone, but personally I think it is an aspiration we should try to meet.
We are keen to investigate the benefits of modular, factory-built homes. Our heroes deserve beautifully designed two and three-bed homes that are energy efficient and carbon neutral, as well as digitally connected and enabled. We can do this while using a simple, mass produced design like Ikea has done with furniture – building homes that are seen as desirable, easy to customise and make your own.
Modular construction is also appealing because we could produce thousands of homes much more quickly – factories can operate 24 hours a day and are not dependent on the right weather or light. Once the fast-track planning consent arrives, the homes should be ready to be delivered to site.
“We would like to get some homes built, not by shifting money away from existing programmes but by bringing in new resources”
Finally, we believe that large orders would create diverse jobs in the Midlands and the North, helping to address high unemployment in our divided country and the shortage of skilled labour.
We would like to build a broad coalition to support this campaign – housing associations and local authorities, private sector companies and the public, led by our campaigning organisations: the National Housing Federation and the Chartered Institute of Housing. We hope that Inside Housing will support and amplify the campaign.
We would also like to get some homes built, not by shifting money away from existing programmes but by bringing in new resources such as NHS and government land, philanthropic giving from the private sector, perhaps even a crowd-funded campaign. Most housing associations were started by people rattling tins in pubs, and generous donations from people who believed in our vision.
In London, homes with gardens are no longer the norm. Some homes for heroes will be flats and some may be refurbished. But Notting Hill Genesis is absolutely committed to getting homes built. Many have joined the campaign and made a commitment already and many others are signing up. Please join us.
Kate Davies, chief executive, Notting Hill Genesis
