- Conference
- 2024 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 2 October 2023
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes:
Women are disadvantaged compared to men in terms of housing in many ways. On average, women have lower incomes and less capital than men. As a result, they tend to be disadvantaged in a housing system where access to housing is largely determined through the market. Women heads of household, lone-parent households, and households made up of lone women are overrepresented in many less advantageous housing circumstances.
In 2020 the women’s budget group produced the following statistics on housing and women:
• No region in England is affordable to rent in the private market on women’s median earnings. As for buying property, the median home in England costs over 12 times women’s median wages (8 times for men).
• 67% of adults in households accepted as statutorily homeless are women, reflecting their risk of loss of secure housing, and their responsibility for caring for children.
• 60% of adults in households claiming housing benefit are women, reflecting women’s lower incomes.
• 57% of adults in social renting are women, reflecting women’s lower incomes.
• Since 2010 there has been:
1)A sharp reduction in overall government spending on housing.
2) Reductions in housing benefit rates and eligibility, and
3) Changes to the size and status of the social housing sector.
All of these have reduced the ‘housing welfare safety net’ and disadvantaged women in particular.
Conference notes that since 2020 the housing sector has become even more challenging for those seeking to rent properties on wages that many of our women members earn. This impacts on women and families in particular, meaning that many face long commutes to work as well as getting children to school.
Conference also notes that the Government has laid out legislation called the Renters Reform Bill which seeks to end no fault evictions and move to a simpler tenancy structure. Whilst the bill strengthens some renters’ rights, it does not end all unfair evictions, nor does it end unfair affordability barriers that are put in place before someone can rent a property. However, the bill itself may not make it through parliament denying many women much needed protections.
Conference calls on the National Women’s Committee to:
• Work with Labour Link to highlight the needs of women and the clear need for rental reform.
• Work with LAOS to produce a briefing sheet on housing and women.
• Promote the work of UNISON’s Housing Campaign and “Through the Roof” briefing document to all regions and branches.
ENDS