University of Glasgow, College of Social Sciences’ Post

A change of government brings hope and fresh opportunities. What positive change are we likely to see in our sector? What will really make a difference to the vital work that we do? And ultimately, what promises will we see honoured? We want to work with the government and our partners on the changes we believe are necessary to create a future in which everyone has a safe, secure, and affordable place to call home. With over 4 million people in need of an affordable home in England, we need this new government's commitment and action on the manifesto promise to mark a sea change. The Labour government has promised to: · Build 1.5 million homes over the next five. · Increase Right to Buy discounts. · Introduce mandatory housing targets for councils and recruit hundreds of new planners to tackle backlogs. · Build on more brownfield land and preserve the green belt. · An immediate ban on Section 21 evictions, also known as no-fault evictions. · Extend Awaab's law. · Work to end homelessness. This commitment, which recognises the scale of the housing crisis and the challenges that the sector faces, will see more people gaining access to much-needed affordable housing. However, a long-term plan is still required to create lasting solutions for people who need it most, as well as the economy and the environment. Not only does social housing provide safe and secure homes, support independence, create opportunities for those in need and strengthen communities, it also impacts our economy by £70 billion a year, with savings made by local authorities, the police, and the NHS, according to recent research from The Hyde Group. When people have stable, affordable housing, they are less likely to suffer from health issues related to poor living conditions, which can then reduce demand on the NHS and other care providers and improve overall community well-being. We welcome change that will deliver a new, better era of social housing for all and the benefits it can bring individuals and wider society. We will see how things unfold over the coming months and continue to focus our efforts on making a positive difference in people’s lives. #GeneralElection #ukhousing #planforhousing

After a win in the #GeneralElection, it’s been confirmed that The Labour Party will form the UK’s next government. The Labour manifesto has laid out commitments to addressing the #housingcrisis, with a big promise to deliver 1.5 million new homes, prioritising the largest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation. They have also promised to abolish Section 21 evictions and extend Awaab’s Law to the private sector in order to improve housing safety and announced plans to create a cross-government strategy to tackle homelessness, potentially including an "ending homelessness unit" in the Office for the Deputy Prime Minister. We welcome all of these and reaffirm that we firmly believe housing should be the next government’s top priority – our deputy CEO Helen Walsham recently contributed a piece to Inside Housing on this, which you can read here: https://lnkd.in/em2ByxHF We look forward to working with the new government and all MPs in our areas, both new and returning, on ensuring that #solvingthehousingcrisis is a reality. #housing #UKhousing #affordablehousing #FlagshipGroup #PlanForHousing

The Local Government Association (LGA) 'Local Government White Paper' https://lnkd.in/eYPrQn6s adds to the voices calling for the end of Section 21 "no fault" evictions. Banning Section 21 was a key part of the Renters Reform Bill that died the day Parliament dissolved... Capital Letters, Shelter, Crisis, Chartered Institute of Housing, and #housing and #homelessness organisations from across the UK all support the proposed ban. It is hugely important that the LGA has made the banning of Section 21 one of the cornerstones of their White Paper ahead of the general election. LGA members have a statutory duty to help those who have been made homeless by "no fault" evictions, there are record numbers of people living in Temporary Accommodation (TA) supplied by their local council. The cost is £1.75bn across the UK, there aren't enough settled homes for people to live in, and the bottleneck of TA increases alongside the cost - by an estimated 19% in the next year... By taking away the biggest driver of homelessness - Section 21 - councils have a chance to address one part of the housing journey for families experiencing homelessness. We work with our member boroughs to find affordable, secure, and good quality homes for Londoners in TA. We provide homes that are the foundation of healthy and productive lives - because a home changes everything. #housing #londonhousing #property #policy #generalelection #election #localgovernment

Yesterday, the new Chancellor Rt Hon Rachel Reeves used her first speech to the Treasury to announce plans to reintroduce mandatory local housing targets, reform the planning system and create a “task force to accelerate stalled housing sites in our country”. Our Executive Director for Care & Support John Glenton commented on the announcement: “Reintroducing local housing targets will help to incentivise the need to deliver more much-needed new homes in the right places. “According to YouGov polling housing was consistently the fourth most significant issue for voters during the General Election with voters only more concerned about the economy, the NHS and immigration and asylum. “However, increasing housebuilding and creating more good quality homes will help provide solutions to the nation’s top three concerns by boosting the economy, reducing demand on the NHS and delivering a safe, secure home. “Currently more than 54,000 acres of Green Belt land is classified as contaminated land providing enough pace to build more than one million homes. “No-one wants to see high-quality Green Belt land built upon but we need to stop treating contaminated and low-quality Green Belt lands as if it’s the height of Helvellyn, although planning reform comes with its own set of challenges and might be as gruelling as climbing a mountain. “However, planning reform alone is not enough – as public finances improve the government must also provide significant grant funding to deliver the social homes we need. “Ultimately, if we are to bring the 145,800 homeless children out of temporary accommodation in England and seriously work towards ending homelessness, we need to get on and build more social homes so it’s encouraging to see the Treasury already taking a strong house building stance.” https://lnkd.in/e_fdfEyA

Ahead of the next general election, we’re calling for all political parties to commit to a long-term plan for housing. 👉There are two million children in England living in overcrowded, unaffordable or unsuitable homes. 👉There are eight million people with unmet housing need, and over a million families on housing waiting lists. 👉We need at least 167,000 more supported homes by 2040. But It doesn't have to be this way By building a long-term plan which delivers real change for the people who need it most, the next government can transform the housing system and create lasting solutions that serve people, the planet and our economy. A long-term plan could do the following by 2035: Fix child homelessness Halve overcrowding Provide the security of a social home for one million more people Ensure a warm and decent home for seven million more families Improve affordability Boost productivity by ensuring every region has the homes it needs to grow. Find out more about the National Housing Federation campaign via https://lnkd.in/e9psHaAm #planforhousing https://lnkd.in/e9psHaAm #planforhousing

The UK #housingcrisis of hundreds of thousands of #homeless families stuck in #temporaryaccommodation is costing local #tax payers - Council Tax payers and #businessrate payers up to 50% of Annual Budget. The Times article below shows some UK #localgovernement organisations are having to spend 50% of their operational annual revenues on temporary housing solutions. This must change. Ask your Parliamentary Candidates what their housing strategy and policy is. We need stability for families and stability in local authority finance so that other local community needs can be met. We really must CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) the OPEX (operational expenditure) through large volume scale local authority and housing association development programmes to meet the social and financial impact of homelessness being experienced by families across the UK. By so doing we will also boost #housebuilding sector and #construction sectors bringing growth to the economy & #gdp. https://lnkd.in/g9Pu7NzJ

As sustained cost of living pressures continue to be felt throughout the state, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW is calling on the NSW Government to invest more in social housing, specialist homelessness services, food relief and energy affordability in the 2024-25 budget.   The social infrastructure that is so important to maintaining a healthy, cohesive state needs to be at the forefront of the government’s agenda. We must act now by investing in essential relief measures and delivering better targeted programs for people doing it tough.   Our Pre Budget Submission, ‘Rebuilding essential social infrastructure and programs’, features recommendations across four key priority areas that are essential to ensuring the people of NSW are able to live with security and dignity.   See our Pre Budget Submission in full at: https://lnkd.in/g2wuKJCP

It was encouraging to see the First Minister’s comments this week that his Government will engage constructively to expand housing supply to meet the needs of the population and tackle homelessness, as he outlined the Scottish Government’s four priorities to eradicate child poverty, grow Scotland’s economy, tackle the climate emergency and improve Scotland’s public services. However, given that Scotland declared a national housing emergency little over a week ago, it was disappointing not to see increasing housing supply listed as a core priority in it's own right. Quite simply, without an adequate supply of high quality, warm and sustainable homes across all tenures, the other four priorities cannot be achieved. Ahead of the Programme for Government, it is crucial that the First Minister and his cabinet forensically examine all policy portfolios to ensure the solutions and regulatory reform required to address the housing emergency are evidenced and considered. While the next six weeks will undoubtedly divert the focus of most towards the outcome of the forthcoming general election, HFS and our members are ready to work with the Scottish Government to ensure the housing emergency declaration is matched with an appropriate emergency response which aligns with a focus on new housing delivery across the Scottish Government, local authorities and those delivering the much needed new homes.

The SNP Government's 'failure to address uncertainty for investors' threatens to derail £4.5 billion of investment in housing in Scotland. The ‘tone of urgency reflective of Scotland's current housing situation’ was absent from a statement made in Parliament. The much-anticipated announcement around action on Scotland’s housing crisis was described as ‘extremely disappointing’. It comes as 10 local authorities' homelessness services have been identified as being in systemic failure and eight councils have declared a housing emergency. This is a critical time for the future of the fabric of Scotland and so far the new administration’s response to the emergency has been woeful. My Business Week column Article: https://lnkd.in/evdzJArj Subscribe: https://lnkd.in/gvVaGaYh #scotlandhousing #housingemergency

28,000 MORE HOMES FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA In collaboration with the Albanese Government, we will be boosting Western Australia’s housing supply by investing in critical infrastructure that will unlock up to 28,000 more homes across the State. This major $105 million commitment from the Albanese Labor has been allocated to 21 projects across the State to fast-track housing in regional and metropolitan growth areas as well as to further boost social housing delivery. Just last week, our Government announced a further $443 million commitment to boost affordable rental housing in WA in partnership with the Federal Government, bringing the Cook Government’s investment in housing and homelessness measures to a record $3.6 billion since 2021-22 The Cook Labor Government continues to work in lockstep with the Federal Albanese Government to boost housing across the continuum throughout Western Australia.