The housing crisis is becoming more inadequate every year, with numerous private renters saying they struggle to meet housing costs and pay their bills.
The amount of social homes being built is at its lowest for 70 years, and we suffer a persistent shortage of housing that people can afford, and millions of people are being failed by the housing market and live with the worry and fear of not being able to afford to pay the rent.
Even worse, they’re usually at the mercy of private landlords who can oust them with practically no warning, but quality, social housing could make a tremendous difference to people’s lives, meaning families could put down roots, and live without the fear of being forced to move home.
Social housing gives the security of a permanent home and the opportunity for millions of families to lead lives where their children are secure and content. But the latest report on the fate of social housing makes plain, that with 1.1 million households on the social housing waiting list, and countless more in need of it, that there isn’t nearly enough to go round.
And this year, the government will undertake its comprehensive spending review. This is one of the most important opportunities for decades and will conclude whether funding is made accessible for new social homes.
The Government has released figures unveiling that the amount of people sleeping on the streets has decreased by 2 per cent. But, some municipalities such as London and Manchester have witnessed an increase and while numbers have gone down nationwide, they’re still 165 per cent greater than in 2010.
Newham continues to be one of the top ten boroughs in the country for rough sleeping, having risen by 4 per cent since the count last year, and just one person sleeping rough is one too many and more must be done to ensure people are not endangering their lives simply by bedding down for the night.
The newly launched Rough Sleepers Hub is serving to give a home and support to people sleeping rough in the area, but as the numbers grow and the government’s overall spending review is emerging, they must reflect earnestly about investment in social housing.
The amount of social homes being built is at its lowest for 70 years, and we face a continuing shortage of housing that people can afford, but the government’s spending review is one of the biggest opportunities for decades and will decide whether funding is going to be made accessible for new social homes.
But as the housing market crashes down, it appears that it’s more effective to build less than needed, driving house and rent prices up, leaving those that can’t afford to buy or rent to go without, and homelessness should not be acceptable in our society.
Building homes is a long term investment, yet the government supports the enterprise of private landlords, and only sees today’s cash flow, and not the advantages of such an expenditure.
Furthermore, now the government has started the totally unfair Landlord Tax, which means a lot of private landlords will end up selling their rental properties, which will mean less rental properties and so more expensive rents.
