'Homes for Cathy' group launches

Fourteen landlords are in the ‘Homes for Cathy’ group and want to highlight the continuing needs of homeless people in the run-up to the anniversary of Ken Loach’s seminal television drama. The 1966 drama, which highlighted the plight of a homeless family, inspired people to form housing associations.

David Bogle, chief executive of group member Hightown Housing Association, said: “Despite housing associations and others building hundreds of thousands of homes over the last 50 years, the problem of homelessness has not gone away.

“Today, more and more families are being accepted as homeless by local authorities up and down the country, and last Christmas over 100,000 children were in temporary accommodation.”

The group will organise “a range of local and national events and initiatives” in the run-up to November’s anniversary.

It plans to work with the National Housing Federation, Shelter and Crisis on this, as well as with the Cardboard Citizens Theatre Workshop.

The group is calling for other housing associations formed in the Cathy Come Home era to get involved. They should contact Mr Bogle on david.bogle@hightownha.org.uk.