Yesterday I got a phonecall from someone who has no home - the third person in our ward that has contacted me since I was elected in May - we really cannot underestimate the impact this can have on a person. It is true most people registered homeless are not actually on the streets but the toll that 'sofa surfing' takes on relationships, work possibilities and health are enormous.
Years ago as a Social Worker in London I often had the unhappy task of trying to help people fleeing violent relationships and exploitative landlords or who had lost their homes due to a whole host of reasons - I don't have the figures to hand but a huge percentage are people who have been in the forces often suffering from their experiences of war - and of course a high percentage also have mental health problems - indeed with the stresses of such living it would be surprising if people did not.
What sort of society are we? To me it is utterly outrageous we cannot find homes for people - look at the wealth around us - money for wars, renewing Trident, £300,000 bonuses for corporate 'leaders', second-homes, massive corporate profits - we are one of the wealthiest nations but the rich get richer and the poor get poorer - in our District the number of people registered homeless is steadly rising. Inequality in a society has a negative impact - it is in our interests to create a fairer society.
On current rates anyone on the register with a place further down the list than 20 basically wont get a home for years - if ever. All I can do is check people have the points they should have and know where they can get further advice - but it all stinks - basically there is not much out there - the private-rented sector is shrinking and there are fewer opportunities if anything.
But what we are seeing here is the same across much of the South West. We are the only region in England with above average house prices but below average incomes. We are the most unaffordable region in the UK to buy a home - house prices are 9.3 times average incomes and by 2011 average house prices will rise from the current £200,000 to more than £280,000 - a further whopping great 40% rise.
Affording a home at the cheapest end of the market requires income of £25,557 - 67% higher than average. House prices have already risen 164% since 1997 - yet incomes have only gone up 20%. Housing waiting lists have gone up across the region by 50% in 5 years with the 'Right to Buy' Council houses still having an impact on reducing the number of homes available.
Affordable housing makes up only 16% of all homes produced - on averahe each local authority gained just 12 new affordable homes after 'Right to Buy'. Despite extra investment over last 2 years we are still only producing half the affordable homes we need.
Research shows this all means - more overcrowding, poorer health, lower education attainments, restrictions on social mobility and employment prospects.It also affects the individuals quality of life, the regions economic prospects, leads to outward migration of young people, pressure on services and causes unbalanced communities - particularly in rural areas.
We have a housing timebomb. It is time politicians took this issue seriously.
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By coincidence this afternoon my Citizen has David Drew also talking about homelessness - good on him! Here's his column from The Citizen:
PROBLEM WITH HOMELESSNESS IS SCAR ON OUR CONSCIENCES
15 December 2006
One poignant part of the Christmas story is that Mary and Joseph were homeless and had to find their resting place in a stable where the baby Jesus was born.This brings home to anyone what the meaning of being without a home is.
Sadly, this is as true today as it was in biblical times.
Over the last 30 years I have dealt with many, many cases of homelessness.
They have come in all shapes and sizes, from the young unmarried mother, to the family facing repossession, to sometimes an older person who has fallen through the net.
Now statutory homelessness legislation helps in that it sets out clearly defined criteria for who should be entitled to housing by the state - but of course this leaves many who have to find their own way in the private sector, or in extremis those who can end up on the streets.
Pleasingly, street sleeping has declined rapidly over recent years in the cities but there are those who seem to have been diverted to Stroud.
Go to any session held by Marah at the Congregational Church in Bedford Street and you will witness many unfortunate individuals who may not all be homeless but who face mental health and dependency problems which mean that life is very hard.
Without any doubt a shortage of appropriate housing has made the problems of homelessness much worse.
For many it is impossible to find accommodation in the Stroud Valleys and especially in our villages.
Much more has to be done, and some things must not be done.
It was always a myth to believe that by outsourcing the council house stock in this district that this would do anything for this problem.
It remains a scar on our consciences that so many people in our society cannot get somewhere to live, but if some of the initiatives that are about to get under way then there may be some hope in the future.
In particular the idea of a community land trust at the old Cashes Green Hospital site gives a real opportunity for something to bridge the gap for those who have not been able to afford to find somewhere to live.
By keeping control of the land, while allowing buyers to take a stake in the capital appreciation of the property, there is the advantage of letting someone get a starton the property ladder while ensuring that there is something for future generations as people move on into full owner-occupier market.
There is now national interest in what we are doing in Stroud.
It is vital that we now pull this site off so that we can make a start on providing the right sort of housing for those who currently have none or who are living in totally inappropriate accommodation.
Now would truly be a gift for Christmas.
A quick thought. The expense of housing is due to the cost of land with planning permission. Thus to make housing cheaper, so that we have more of it, we need to relax the planning system. So, err, abolish the Green Belt?
Here is a quick response to comments above - the increase in homelessness is largely the result of ineffective housing policy and lack of investment in housing over the last twenty years. Policies are urgently needed to change the homelessness legislation, to maximise the use of empty property, and to increase the security of anyone occupying a property as their home. Reform of the housing benefit system would ensure that late payments cannot cause homelessness and stop landlords discriminating against those on benefit.
National government has considerable powers to alleviate the housing crisis. However, many of the policies required are more suited to implementation locally, enabled and assisted by national government.
Here is Green party policy on Green belts:
CY560 Green Belts. Green Belts, as they are currently defined, are a rather blunt instrument that have:
a)Helped to protect land for agriculture or recreation but have not positively promoted these activities
b)Prevented the worst excesses of sprawl
c)Have sustained the separations between towns but sometimes only for the convenience of motorways, leisure complexes, gravel pits and other claims on the urban fringe.
CY561 The Green Party will retain and rigorously strengthen Green Belt legislation as a positive measure to revitalise the countryside and encourage the extension of the Green Belts into the cities. We will end the pressure on Green Belts by policies that:
a)Reject economic-growth-orientated development in favour of conservation (see 'Economy' section).
b)End the speculation in land in towns and cities; (see 'Land' section).
c)Encourage the building of thriving communities in urban areas.
d)Reduce population numbers (see 'Population' section).
e)Extend Environmental and Social Impact Statements into all areas of decision making
f)Make rural communities rewarding places to live and work in, which will end rural depopulation.
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