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Morning Briefing: attacks on homeless people ‘triple in five years’
Attacks on homeless people have tripled in just five years, Channel 4 News has reported
In the news
The programme revealed new figures provided by 15 different police forces last night.
In London, the Metropolitan Police said there were 2,784 recorded violent crimes against people described as homeless in 2017.
Channel 4’s news segment includes footage of a man jumping on a tent in the street. Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident, according to BBC News.
Elsewhere, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry has attracted headlines once more.
The Times reports that Whirlpool, the company which made the Hotpoint fridge thought by experts to have started the terrible blaze, suggested a cigarette flying through the fourth floor flat’s open window could have been to blame.
Yesterday, Inside Housing was among those to report that the inquiry’s second phase may not start until 2020.
Meanwhile, The Guardian runs a story on the fact that a new 142-home luxury retirement complex has been given planning permission by Kensington and Chelsea Council, despite including only five affordable homes.
Grenfell Tower is located in the borough – and 14 families who used to live in the tower are still in hotel accommodation after 18 months.
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In Scotland, the number of affordable homes built has risen by 21% in a year up to 8,767, according to The National.
Plans for more than 500 homes at a Donald Trump-owned golf resort in Aberdeenshire will be subject to a pre-determination hearing tonight, per the BBC.
In other news, Construction News reports that 280,000 homes could be built over London’s railways, the Echo says Southend Council is set to miss its housing target by almost 8,000 homes, and Leicestershire Live runs a story on the housing ombudsman branding Leicester City Council’s record keeping “unacceptable”.
And finally, the Red Brick blog has published an illuminating guide to the complex world of rent policy.
On social media
Long-time housing professional and activist Tom Murtha has gained some traction for a tweet extolling the importance of social housing:
I was born and raised in social housing. I’ve spent the whole of my career working in social housing. All of my extended family still live in social housing. I believe I owe my life to social housing. That’s why I will never stop fighting for social housing. It’s why we are here.
— Tom Murtha (@tomemurtha)I was born and raised in social housing. I’ve spent the whole of my career working in social housing. All of my extended family still live in social housing. I believe I owe my life to social housing. That’s why I will never stop fighting for social housing. It’s why we are here.
— Tom Murtha (@tomemurtha) December 11, 2018
And Paul Hackett, chief executive of Optivo and chair of the G15, calls for a deal to bring skilled construction workers to the UK in order to plug the current gap following a similar agreement for architects:
Great @RIBA successfully lobbied for overseas architects to be eligible for ‘Tier 1’ work visas. But this has been a long time coming and doesn’t address the UK’s massive construction skills gap. A deal urgently needed. #ukconstruction #ukhousing t.co/OAn1PXxsBE
— Paul Hackett (@PaulHackett10)Great @RIBA successfully lobbied for overseas architects to be eligible for ‘Tier 1’ work visas. But this has been a long time coming and doesn’t address the UK’s massive construction skills gap. A deal urgently needed. #ukconstruction #ukhousing https://t.co/OAn1PXxsBE
— Paul Hackett (@PaulHackett10) December 12, 2018
What’s on
- Prime Minister’s Question Time is due to go ahead in parliament at 12pm today
- Today is expected to be the last day of evidence for Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry – with Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation and Rydon among those delivering closing statements
