20th January 2020
UK benevolent funds hand out £216m as hardship grows Number of empty homes a ‘national emergency’
Over the last year, hardship charities in the UK gave out an estimated £216m in grants (£203m in 2016) covering anything from cash handouts to food & clothes, fridges, beds, wheelchairs, psychological counselling, carer help and debt advice. The charities say rising demand is due to collapsing living standards & static wages, unstable & stressful working lives, against a backdrop of cuts to the NHS, care services and welfare benefits. Read Article
Osborne fears for future of Universal Credit
A Liberal Democrat investigation has revealed almost 13,000 homes have been left vacant for over 10 years despite government statistics revealing 127,000 children face being homeless at New Year. The figures collated from over 300 local authorities, uncovered by freedom of information requests, also reveal there are a staggering 46,964 homes that have been empty for 5 years or more while there are 313,792 long-term empty homes [defined as over 6-months] across the country. Some of the worst offending councils include Durham County Council, which has 682 homes that have been empty for over 10 years, with Rother and Manchester totalling 660 and 495 homes respectively. Read article
'Class war' rages over Government's housing policy Two Cabinet ministers are at loggerheads in a ‘class war’ over the Government’s policy on housing. The row involves multi-millionaire Housing and Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick and his deputy Esther McVey, who is from a ‘blue collar’ background. In recent months there have been heated discussions in the department over how the Government should be spending its housing cash – and which voters it should be targeting. Read article
Former chancellor George Osborne has gone public with his fears for Universal Credit – saying he didn’t believe it would work when first introduced. In July, the Commons Work and Pensions Committee branded Universal Credit among the worst examples of welfare reform “in the history of humankind”, saying the application process alone should come with a health warning. Read more
Growing number of Londoners moving out of capital coming to Yorkshire A growing proportion of Londoners moving out of the capital to buy a home are heading north, analysis suggests. Hamptons International, which carried out the research, said stretched housing affordability in southern England has resulted in more London leavers moving to the Midlands and the North of England. Read more
Serious design flaws in many housing estates, report claims Carmona claims housebuilders are not investing enough in good design, especially in less affluent areas. “These are large companies making a lot of money out of housing development and having a huge impact on our country. They should be building sustainable estates which stand the test of time and allow communities to thrive,” The worst new estates lack nearby amenities such as shops, pubs and cafes. They are unconnected to surrounding areas, with few public transport links. They lack enough green spaces and playgrounds. Architecture is standardised and undistinctive, with affordable housing sometimes concentrated in particular areas, rather than mixed in with private homes. Read Article