However, as Boris said, many of the electorate lent the Conservatives their votes. In our view, housing is one of the areas that might mean those new Conservative voters extend the Conservative’s line of credit.
All the parties included proposals for substantial new house building, greater rights for private and social tenants, action on rough sleeping and homelessness, and on building standards. The Conservative twist was an emphasis on home ownership – the VRTB and affordable housing (what we now expect to be the extended scope of shared ownership and the extension of help to buy). Delivering on a million new homes* over the next 5 years, was not especially ambitious given we currently build 180,000 houses per year.
What, then, from their manifesto, can we ascertain will be the Conservative’s “housing game changer?” What will put credit in the voters’ bank?
Though the Conservative’s promise on homelessness was not as ambitious as the other parties, nevertheless, ending rough sleeping within five years is still a huge task. There’s 4,700 rough sleepers in England and Wales – more than double the number in 2010 and the Government isn’t meeting its target to halve rough sleepers by 2022. In the housing sector, we are seeing the Regulator challenging providers of exempt accommodation which might, given the reduced statutory housing obligations to single persons, result in significant increase in that number.
Eradicating homelessness and putting in place policies to prevent homelessness happening in the first place should in our view be the top housing priority. From Sidmouth (of all places), to Stockton, homeless people are dying. Ending homelessness is what any decent society should do. Seeing a reduction of homeless people would be the game changer.
Across the country there are a number of social housing sector initiatives (and we have had the privilege of working on some of them). Many come from the Mayors who understand their local communities are shamed by what is happening.
Number 10 now has the opportunity to make the challenge a national challenge, looking at best practice and making tackling the issue one of the priorities across Government. If it does, the whole social housing sector needs to take the opportunity to support it; making preventing homelessness and providing accommodation suitable for homeless its priority too.
Let’s see!
* In England, since housing is devolved to Scotland and Wales.
Anthony Collins Solicitors are presenting a series of podcasts with employees to raise awareness about disabilities around the firm.
Answering key questions about the details and practicalities of mandatory vaccinations in care home settings.
Anthony Collins Solicitors (ACS) has appointed a new partner to its market-leading social housing property team.
On 7 September 2021, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) published its annual consumer review.
From today (1 October 2021) there is yet more change on the possession front!
We are delighted to secure our position as a top-tier firm in five of our practice areas in the Legal 500 2022 edition.
This virtual event is an introduction to employee ownership.
Helen Tucker has been appointed a deputy district judge (DDJ) for the Midlands Circuit and will start sitting part-time in county courts from early 2022.
The monthly round-up from the Anthony Collins Solicitors charities team.
The CQC will conduct reviews on a monthly basis of all of the information they hold about services and will use these reviews to prioritise its activity.
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