- Conference
- 2025 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 20 February 2025
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Cuts to housing budgets are having significant consequences for our members, who are already suffering 14 years of Tory austerity.
Over the past number of years, we have seen this workforce depleted resulting in additional pressures for housing workers, a rise in absence and many leaving the service. This has also meant for many having to lone work putting them in dangerous situations.
The lack of community mental health services has also played a significant part in contributing to the uncertainty housing workers face on a day-to-day basis.
The Scottish Government have announced that they will slash the affordable housing budget. A report from a Holyrood committee raised significant concerns on its impact on poverty and the economy.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation have said this decision is ‘baffling’ amid the wider housing crisis and the cut is a hammer-blow for tackling poverty and homelessness.
The New Labour Government is promising 1.5 million new homes which is welcomed, but only if they are affordable, predominantly aimed at the social rented sector and focus on the issues raised in this motion for both communities and housing workers.
This conference calls on the Local Government Service Group Executive to:
1) Liaise with the NEC and Labour Link to put pressure on the Labour Government to meet its commitment to build 1.5million new homes (homes that will address issues like homelessness, poor mental health, poverty and disability);
2) Raise the profile of the cuts to housing and impact on our members;
3) Lobby all Governing UK bodies to reverse the funding cuts and invest in our housing services;
4) Establish guidelines/advice for Housing Workers around lone working and the impact of additional work pressures;
5) Liaise with the National Health & Safety Committee to issue advice on work risk assessments and how they can be used.
