Discussing Homelessness at the National Housing Summit

On 12th September, Pippa spoke at the National Housing Summit on behalf of the Local Government Association (LGA) on a plenary panel on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping.  With Matt Downie, Chief Executive of Crisis and Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Professor at the Institute for Social Policy, Housing and Equalities Research, she spoke about the progress which has been made, but how this is in imminent danger of being lost.

The panel welcomed the government’s cross-departmental rough sleeping strategy, particularly commitments to ensure better access to mental health and addiction support, more supported housing provision for vulnerable people and the announcement of a new Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme. But this strategy does not tackle systematic issues regarding supply. Almost 8 million people in England are estimated to have some form of housing need, and more than one in ten households have been on council waiting lists for more than five years.  Young people now face the biggest barriers ever to finding affordable flats and homes. LGA research shows we need to build 100,000 social rent homes a year but this is not happening.

Pippa also highlighted other issues-

• The Right to Buy Policy, under which councils have lost two thirds of social housing, presents barriers to delivery of replacement homes. The policy must be reformed to allow councils to retain 100% of receipts from the sale of homes under the scheme.

• Under permitted development rights, more than 18,000 affordable houses have been lost through office-to-residential conversions. This policy should be removed.

• Since 2010/11 1 million homes granted planning permission have not been built. Councils need powers and tools to incentivise developers to build out.

• The government must ensure the new Infrastructure Levy delivers more affordable housing contributions at a local authority level than the existing systems for developer contributions.

• 9 out of 10 renters supported by Councils are not able to pay the rent needed to secure or retain private rental homes because the Council’s Local Housing Allowance (LHA) which is funded by government is below rental prices and not linked to inflation. Yet, whilst the government is proposing to put a cap on social rent it won’t give councils and housing providers any funding to cover the difference- so putting critical services further at risk and reducing maintenance of existing stock.

If the welfare benefits freeze is maintained over winter, and with the ongoing cost of living crisis many struggling individuals and families could be tipped over the edge. The government must act now to stop more and more people losing their homes.