Government Launches A Campaign To Empower Social Housing Residents To Raise Complaints

The Government's Social Housing White Paper promised to run an awareness campaign so that social housing residents know their rights to complain and are confident in navigating their routes to complain and are aware of how to escalate their complaints to get redress. The national campaign under the headline 'Make Things Right' will run adverts on digital and social media channels, as well as music streaming sites, to raise awareness of the complaints process and barriers to these being progressed. Read more on the ARCH website.

http://www.arch-housing.org.uk/news/latest-news/government-launches-a-campaign-to-empower-social-housing-residents-to-raise-complaints.aspx

 

Placeshapers Pitches Cabinet Role For Housing In Next Government

Placeshapers has pitched itself into election campaign calling for consistency in housing policy, funding and ministerial roles – with housing having a cabinet place in its own right. “Ideally we would want to see a cross party, evidence based approach to a national housing strategy as the benefits of investment are seen in longer timescales than the Westminster political cycle.” said Placeshapers chair Sinead Butters. Releasing a manifesto of its own, Placeshapers – representing over 100 organisations managing almost a million homes – says the next government needs to invest to tackle the housing crisis, the climate crisis and social breakdown. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/placeshapers-pitches-cabinet-role-for-housing-in-next-government/

Government Urged To Commit To Ending Homelessness

A joint-campaign is calling on all political parties to publish a plan in their first year of government to end all forms of homelessness. The #EndHomelessness campaign, supported by Crisis, Shelter, Centrepoint, St Mungo’s, Homeless Link, and Depaul UK, outlines a series of commitments that, put in place, can set to end rough sleeping in the UK. These include:

·         Improving access to truly affordable housing, by building at least 90,000 social homes a year over the next five years, and improving security for tenants in the private rented sector

·         Strengthening support through the welfare system, through housing benefit that covers the cost of rent and fixing Universal Credit so that it doesn’t push people into homelessness

Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/government-urged-to-commit-to-ending-homelessness/

Campaign Calls For Office-To-Resi Halt Before 'Slums' Built

The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) has launched a campaign to stop developers converting offices into housing developments. The TCPA is calling on the government to reverse the policy of allowing office-to-resi conversions under permitted development rights, stating it leads to homes “in the wrong place and built to very low standards”. The Room to Breathe campaign will call on the government to introduce minimum housing standards across the whole of the UK as well as bring together individuals and organisations to oppose the permitted development rules. Read more on the News Locker website.

http://www.newslocker.com/en-uk/profession/construction/campaign-calls-for-office-to-resi-halt-before-slums-built/view/

More Landlords Attack Housing Benefit Claims

More landlords have come out to attack the Shelter and National Housing Federation campaign urging private landlords to allow renters who receive benefits. The campaign says the practice is a form of prejudice. But ARLA Propertymark hit out at that, saying it was a “systematic problem caused by government and banks”. Now, the RLA have added to that, saying it was “not surprising” that landlords wanted to rent their house to someone who can pay. David Smith, RLA Policy Director said: “Our most recent member survey shows a huge increase in the number of landlords experiencing tenants on Universal Credit going into arrears, rising from 27% in 2016 to 61% now.” Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/more-landlords-attack-housing-benefit-claims/

Calls To End No-Fault Evictions

The London Assembly agreed a motion calling on the Mayor of London to back the campaign to abolish section 21 and to lobby the government for a change in the law. Sian Berry AM, who proposed the motion, said:  “The Assembly has firmly put its weight behind Generation Rent’s campaign to end section 21. London renters need to feel secure in their homes and know they can’t be thrown out on the streets for no reason. Having to move at short notice is one of the worst parts of being a private renter and ending section 21 would make a dramatic difference and solve this problem – it would also align our policies with other countries.” Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/calls-to-end-no-fault-evictions/

Cities Unite Against Attack On Council Tenants’ Lifetime Leases

Leaders of major English cities are demanding David Cameron ends his cruel attack on council tenants. Local authority chiefs from Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle have joined forces to issue direct calls for the PM not to axe lifetime tenancies. The Tory scheme, unveiled last month, would end the long-cherished right to a home for life for all new council tenants. MPs will vote on the measure next week as the Mirror continues our campaign for it to be ditched immediately. Read more on the Daily Mirror website.

Politicians 'Don't Understand' Benefit Claimants, Charity Says

Current debates over social security are ‘failing ordinary families’, a leading children’s charity has said. Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) have launched a campaign called ‘People Like Us’ aimed at challenging politician’s views of benefit claimants. The campaign is based on polls by YouGov which suggest the public do not think the coalition understands the concerns of people on low and middle incomes.  The poll also shows the majority of the British public believe the benefits system would not provide them the support they would personally need if they needed help.  Find out more on the People Like Us page on the CPAG website.

Law Group Warns Against Mass Appeals

A wave of mass appeals against bedroom tax decisions risks leaving people in limbo due to tribunal delays, law centres have warned.  The Law Centres Network has become the latest organisation to warn against people appealing en masse.  The LCN’s intervention is a blow to campaign groups that are urging 660,000 affected tenants to appeal against the bedroom tax.  Julie Bishop, the director of LCN, said: ‘There is a real risk that a wave of mass appeals will increase the burden on tribunals, leading to even longer waiting times for hearings and leaving people in limbo in the meantime.’  Campaigners believe mass appeals will make the bedroom tax unworkable due to the extra administrative burden and cost to the taxpayer. Read more on Inside Housing.

Whitehall Accused of ‘Crazy’ Hypocrisy

The government has been accused of hypocrisy after attacking a council for spending £600 on a welfare cuts awareness campaign, while spending nearly £1 million itself promoting the right to buy.  Conservative MP John Glen complained to the district auditor about Labour-led Lambeth Council spending £600 on leaflets informing residents about welfare reform. Brandon Lewis, local government minister, later described the £600 spend as ‘money wasted on this scare campaign’. Michael Gelling, chair of the Tenants’ and Residents’ Organisations of England, described the government’s position as ‘crazy’. He said many tenants are unaware of all the changes coming in. He said: ‘Councils have an obligation to inform their residents.’  Read more on Inside Housing.

Communities across Britain Campaign against Housing Benefit Cuts

Thousands of people all over Britain are taking part in a week of grassroots campaigning against the Government's plans to slash housing benefit for some of country's poorest families. The National Housing Federation, which has organised the event, warned the cuts could leave people with little option but to move out of their home or stay put and live in poverty and debt. The week will see local people, housing associations and charities contacting their MPs to highlight the damage the cuts would make to their local community. Around 50,000 families in Britain will lose nearly £5,000 on average a year when a benefits cap is introduced in 2013. That will leave larger families with little option but to move to a cheaper area, borrow significant amounts of money or sacrifice basic living standards. Read more on the NHF website.