UNISON’s Housing Manifesto

Safe, Decent and Affordable Homes for All’ is UNISON’s vision for housing. Our Housing Manifesto examines the housing crisis and outlines solutions.

We are calling for:

• More new, good quality council and social rented homes
  Housing inequality, overcrowding, rough sleeping, homelessness, poverty, rent arrears and evictions are on the rise. The Government needs to urgently invest in a national house-building programme, led by councils and housing associations, to construct 340,000 new homes a year, including 150,000 for social rent. People on modest incomes need decent and affordable homes.
• A new definition of affordable housing, linked to people’s incomes rather than market rents
  The Government’s so-called “affordable rent” model is not affordable for people on low incomes. A new definition, linked to household incomes, is needed, with ‘housing stress’ understood to mean housing costs that exceed one third of a household’s income.
• Protection for social rented housing stock
  There are around 1.5 million fewer social rented homes in England today than there were in 1980. The priority must be to protect existing social housing stock for current and future generations by ending the stealth privatisation of social rented homes.
• An overhaul to the welfare system, to provide families with adequate support
  Since 2010 significant changes to the welfare system has left thousands of low income families (and those with disabilities or long term medical conditions) thousands of people worse off and facing poverty and homelessness. UNISON wants to see a Welfare System where families receive adequate support to meet their housing and living costs.
• An overhaul to regeneration schemes 
  Regeneration Schemes should improve the quality of homes – but instead can lead to a net loss of social rented homes with private developers often profiting. UNISON wants to see a new framework for regeneration schemes which meets the housing needs of local communities and protect residents’ right to remain.
• New standards and consumer redress, to give a voice to social tenants 
  The Grenfell Tower tragedy highlighted that tenants and residents’ voices are not always heard or acted upon. UNISON would like to see the Government introduce a new regulatory system and measures to guarantee a stronger voice for residents in decision-making about social housing.
• New regulations to make renting stable and affordable
  The Private Rented Sector is the sector with the least regulation, highest number of homes falling below decent homes standards, the highest rents and most insecure tenancies. UNISON wants to see a fairer private rental system that benefits tenants and landlords alike, and protects tenants from unnecessary, unwanted evictions.
• Investment in the housing workforce
  Housing workers are at the frontline of the housing crisis – with limited budgets and a challenging environment. UNISON wants to see a well funded, well resourced housing service to ensure that the housing needs of local people are met, and housing workers have the tools, training and resources needed to do their jobs effectively and safely.

Read the full manifesto