You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Energy prices, Grenfell and social housing disrepair – what #UKhousing has been tweeting about this month
Energy prices, a moving speech from the Grenfell Inquiry and social housing disrepair are among some of the subjects #UKhousing has been talking about on Twitter this month. Jess McCabe reports
The government has released its energy security strategy. The main reaction to the news was exasperation that it did not include much on two of the solutions that are most relevant to social landlords and tenants: energy efficiency retrofits of homes, which make them cheaper to heat and provide low-carbon heating.
@dpcarrington, environment editor at The Guardian, put together a useful thread of reactions from experts in energy policy.
ok, brace yourselves...
— Damian Carrington (@dpcarrington) April 7, 2022
a thread on expert reaction to the UK #EnergyStrategy -
“Nothing is said about improving energy efficiency. The first line of any new energy policy in the UK should read ‘insulate, insulate, insulate’." Prof Jon Gluyas, Durham Energy Institute
1/n
Green MP @CarolineLucas tweeted: “We’re at key moment for energy security, climate stability & cost of living crisis. Yet all 3 challenges demand *same* solution: a war-time mobilisation to pivot away from dirty fossil fuels towards efficiency & clean, green, cheaper energy.”
READ MORE
Our deputy editor @PeteApps, who has been covering the Grenfell Inquiry in detail, posted a speech given by Karim Mussilhy, who lost his uncle in the Grenfell Tower fire, which has been retweeted more than 1,300 times at the time of writing. The heartfelt speech, which said: “I don’t do what I do with Grenfell United because I want to be an activist but it’s a battle we’re never going to win,” resonated widely.
Karim Mussilhy, who lost his uncle in the Grenfell Tower fire, has just finished giving a painful morning's evidence about the immediate aftermath of the blaze.
— Peter Apps (@PeteApps) April 12, 2022
At the end of his evidence, he gave this speech. It is worth sharing: pic.twitter.com/rgmWl57mw2
Housing activist @KwajoHousing is touring the UK, meeting tenants about their housing condition problems. This included a visit to a Manchester estate where Kwajo said there were 350 vacant homes, although there were 19,000 people on the social housing waiting list.
Ended my time in Manchester on an estate in Rochdale 📍
— KWAJO- Social Housing (@KwajoHousing) April 12, 2022
Around 19,000 people are on the Social Housing waiting list In this area. There were around 350 homes sat vacant/void on this estate alone and has been like this for years I was told.
I’ll be back in Manchester soon .. pic.twitter.com/aOFGYgFfeK
He also tweeted:
I’ll be flying over to Northern Ireland 🇮🇪 in the next few weeks to look at Housing conditions there.
— KWAJO- Social Housing (@KwajoHousing) April 13, 2022
When I said I’m going across the country I meant it.
If you’re over there and have any issues do let me know 🧏🏽♂️🙏🏽
Who to follow
@selvinbrownmbe – Selvin Brown is a @beisgovuk director in charge of net zero buildings – domestic. In other words, he is someone to follow if you are wondering what is going on with any government intervention in decarbonising housing
@wearepurpleorg – an organisation that aims to reduce levels of inequality between disabled and non-disabled people
@champions_ta – a project set up to investigate the impact of COVID-19 and lockdowns on under-fives living in temporary accommodation. It now tweets more widely on other related issues
@FairfaxLeanna, a PhD student working on homelessness research, tweeted a worrying anecdote: “I presented at a workshop on women in homelessness and a council figure who leads on homelessness policy approached me after, and during the discussion they then went on to say they know that some women make themselves homeless for a house. I couldn’t believe what I heard, the fact they felt comfortable enough to say that to me, a woman who has been homeless who just spent 15 mins doing a presentation on implicit bias and alienation. Shows that she saw nothing wrong in what she said. Makes me wonder how beneficial these workshops are.”
She went on to point out how these attitudes underline how important it is for people with lived experience to be involved in setting policy, research and management. Lest this seem like an isolated incident, many similar stories emerged in the replies.
I presented at a workshop on women in homelessness and a council figure who leads on homelessness policy, approached me after, and during the discussion they then went on to say they know that some women make themselves homeless for a house. I couldn’t believe what I heard, the
— Leanna fairfax (@FairfaxLeanna) April 9, 2022
Spotlight on ministers
Although housing secretary @michaelgove has been tweeting a lot this month, little has been about housing policy. But he did retweet his department’s announcement about the negotiations with building developers on paying to fix the cladding scandal.
BUILDING SAFETY NEGOTIATIONS
— Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (@luhc) April 13, 2022
☑️Developers pledge to fix their unsafe tall buildings
☑️Building Safety Levy extension expected to raise an extra £3b from industry over 10 years for repairs
☑️Developers agree to pay back taxpayers’ money they received
➡ https://t.co/heVC702s2E pic.twitter.com/nJBoH038Jj
Reactions were inevitably mixed, with a huge number of replies from worried leaseholders wondering what it meant that their building’s developer had not signed up.
The End Our Cladding Scandal campaign (@EOCS_Official) tweeted in response:
📌 Our statement:
— End Our Cladding Scandal (@EOCS_Official) April 13, 2022
This is a welcome step in the right direction, particularly the commitment to fund works where developers cannot be traced. Much depends on how the principles announced today translate into action building by building.
1/4#EndOurCladdingScandal https://t.co/TYaZMFH3Sw
@CentreforCities published a report revealing that many new homes are being built far from public transport links. “Since 2011, 47% of all suburban neighbourhoods located near rail, tram, and tube stations have built less than one new house every year,” it said.
🔎🏚️
— Centre for Cities (@CentreforCities) April 13, 2022
Since 2011, 47% of all suburban neighbourhoods located near rail, tram & tube stations have built less than 1️⃣ new house every year.
Planning reform needs to reconnect new housing to public transport infrastructure, says Senior Analyst @AntBreach https://t.co/crLBQEaOBg
Karen Gilmore (@KGilly9), group director of corporate services at Clanmil Housing, said her cat was giving her a “judge-y look” because it was a working from the office day.
Daffs from garden as we start another week 🌼Judge-y look from the cat as it’s a working in the office day 😂 pic.twitter.com/VeYkgoAfAa
— Karen Gilmore 🇺🇦 (@KGilly9) April 11, 2022
Sign up for our Week in Housing newsletter
Already have an account? Click here to manage your newsletters
