“Families are working hard but still struggling to find anywhere decent and affordable to live. This has to be a wake up call to politicians.” That was the message from UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis at the launch of a report by Housing Voice.
Housing Voice, a housing alliance founded by UNISON, has published a report To have or have not: taking responsibility for tomorrow’s affordable homes on the shortage of affordable housing.
The report states that the government has failed to take responsibility for meeting the housing needs of those who are most in need.
It follows an independent, year-long independent inquiry which held four hearings across England and heard from more than 60 organisations and nearly 3,000 people.
It recommends 10 emergency steps the government could take immediately to help tackle the housing crisis – as well as other legislative and funding measures that the government needs to take on board in next year’s comprehensive spending review. It also calls for a national commission on affordable fousing to report before the 2015 general election.
The inquiry recommends:
- development of new affordable homes supported through quantitative easing and public investment, which will create homes and jobs and pay for itself over time;
- releasing public sector land for the development of affordable homes, including council and housing association homes, shared ownership and co-operative homes;
- increasing help to first-time buyers by extending help with deposits to the second-hand market instead of just newly built homes, as at present;
- ymproving conditions in the private rented sector by increasing security of tenure from six to 24 months and creating safeguards against extortionate rents.
Mr Prentis said that “the lack of affordable housing is all part and parcel of the growing sense that the generation coming through will have a harder time than the previous one.
“Investment in homes and jobs, as called for by Housing Voice, could really help to change that. The government has to set aside its ideology and act.”