A ringing call for a change in housing policy, welcomed a national summit meeting today.  The 23 bishops and other Christian, Jewish, Muslim religious, led by the Bishop of Stepney, describe the Housing Act as “damaging, divisive and unworkable legislation”, and ‘urge the Government to think again’.

See full text and signatories of letter

The letter was sent to all attending a packed meeting of tenants, unions and councils opposing the Act.  The controversial legislation was passed in May this year after serious resistance in the Lords.  It now depends on secondary regulation, none of which has been published or adopted.

The Act threatens wide-ranging changes to existing and future housing provision – see campaign briefing and detailed planning briefing.

Opposition is growing, from Chartered Institute of Housing, and the Local Government Association representing councils across England. Labour conference adopted policy against the Act last month.

The Housing Act summit brought together more than 220 from 30+ areas over half from outside London.  Planned resistance to the Act includes demands on councils and housing associations not to implement a ‘tenants’ tax’, right to buy and market sale of ‘higher value’ council homes.

A plan of campaign includes a protest at Parliament 23 November demanding action on housing in the Government’s Budget Statement.

As faith leaders say in their letter:

‘We need a Housing Act that meets the needs of millions, not only the few, and offers a genuinely sustainable alternative to the endemic uncertainty of the housing market.  The Prime Minister has said she is committed to leading a government for the many, not the few.  The Housing Act stands in contradiction to this’

Ends

Contact Glyn Robbins 07411 557097

Info@axethehousingact.org.uk   www.axethehousingact.org.uk  

___________________________________________________

Press Release available to download here: Newsrelease_Faithleaders_231016 (1)

17th October 2016

The Housing and Planning Act may be well intended, but desperately needs re-thinking; as currently conceived it is a piece of damaging, divisive and unworkable legislation, which far from improving things is actually set to make the housing crisis worse.  

Warnings about unintended consequences are being sounded by well-respected organisations like the Chartered Institute of Housing, Shelter, and the Local Government Association.  Housing is fundamental to our dignity and identity as human beings, and a fair and transparent housing policy underpins the flourishing of all communities; yet the current policy threatens to undermine our attempts to create a socially-cohesive society where the needs of the most economically vulnerable are afforded a special place.

We have many concerns about the legislation, but these 3 in particular need to be addressed:

1. Under the current Act it is almost certain that Council and Housing Association tenants will suffer massive rent rises, a form of “tenants’ tax” which will penalise those on moderate incomes and price long-standing local families out of their own neighbourhoods  

2. Introducing greater flexibility in to the social housing market may be a laudable aim, but reducing security of tenure is a questionable way of achieving it

3. It is essential to build more homes, but the drive to home ownership is driven by political philosophy rather than the best interests of residents.  The Act effectively transfers community assets out of social housing in to so-called “starter homes”, costing up to £450,000, but these will be unaffordable to many people who will now have little option other than to expose themselves to the private rented sector

We need a Housing Act that meets the needs of millions, not only the few, and offers a genuinely sustainable alternative to the endemic uncertainty of the housing market.  The Prime Minister has said she is committed to leading a government for the many, not the few.  The Housing Act stands in contradiction to this and we urge the Government to think again.  

Rt Revd Adrian Newman, Bishop of Stepney

Rabbi Herschel Gluck, OBE, Chairman of the Arab-Jewish Forum

Sanjay Jagatia, Director/Secretary General, Hindu Council UK  

Most Revd Peter Smith, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Southwark

Revd Michaela Youngson, London District Chair, Methodist Church

Harun Rashid Khan, Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain

Revd Dr Andrew Prasad, Moderator, United Reformed Church Thames North Synod

Sayed Yousif Al-Khoei, OBE, Director, Al-Khoei Foundation

Rt Revd Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden

Rt Revd Jonathan Clark, Bishop of Croydon

Rt Revd Richard Cheetham, Bishop of Kingston

Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark

Malcolm M Deboo, President, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe

Revd Nicola Furley-Smith, Moderator, United Reformed Church Southern Synod

Rt Revd Peter Hill, Bishop of Barking

Very Revd David Ison, Dean of St Paul’s

Revd Les Isaac OBE, CEO Ascension Trust

Ven Rosemary Lain-Priestley, Associate Archdeacon of London

Archbishop Fidelia N Onyuku-Opukiri, Worldwide of Born Again Christ Healing Church International

Dr Hugh Osgood, Free Churches Moderator

Rt Revd Rob Wickham, Bishop of Edmonton

Rt Revd Ric Thorpe, Bishop of Islington

Rt Revd Graham Tomlin, Bishop of Kensington

________________________________________________________________

Letter available to download here : 161017 Letter from faith leaders re housing and planning act

PRESS RELEASE

Housing Bill: Government Suffers Major Defeats in Lords, as Kill the Housing Bill campaign grows

Two major elements of the Housing and Planning Bill have been defeated in the House of Lords last night. The Government could be forced to make major concessions following these embarrassing defeats, with opposition to the Bill outside of Parliament growing every day

The Lords supported two amendments to the Bill:

The first extends the Starter Home discount to twenty years, not five as the Bill stated.

The second allows councils to choose how many starter homes are built in their area in a bid to make sure affordable housing for those on low incomes remains a priority

A spokesperson for the Kill the Housing Bill campaign coalition, whose housing bill demo was attended by 10,000 people last month, said: “These defeats show just how unpopular the Tories’ bill is becoming. It’s clear that it will worsen the housing crisis, and force more people into homelessness. It aims to destroy council housing, condemning millions to a lifetime of insecure, expensive private renting.

Starter Homes – the bill’s flagship policy – are no solution to the crisis. They will help only the wealthy, and do nothing for the millions of people struggling with housing across the country. We will continue this fight against the bill, inside and outside Parliament. Everyone deserves a decent home, but landlords, developers and the rich will be the only ones to benefit from this Bill.”

On Friday 15 April UK at 6pm, thousands will assemble at Downing Street to join aMarch With the Homeless, with the march culminating in a mass sleep out at Southwark Council Offices from 9pm. The demonstration is being organised by the Kill the Housing Bill campaign and Streets Kitchen, a homelessness justice organisation.

Notes to Editors

For further information and interviews please contact:

Katya 07791018631

Joe 07873557040

Email: killthehousingbill@gmail.com

Facebook Event: March with the Homeless

Facebook Page: Kill the Housing Bill

On Sunday 13 March 2016, thousands of people from across the country will march on Parliament to oppose the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill and demand: secure homes for all, rent controls, and homes for people not for profit.

 HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/EVENTS/973999866019425/

Campaigners say the Bill, which is currently in the House of Lords, threatens to make the UK’s housing crisis much worse, send rent and house prices soaring and spells the end of council and social housing.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: The march will assemble at Lincoln’s Inn Fields at midday Sunday 13 March 2016. Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and celebrities plan to address the crowds in Parliament Square.

The national demonstration is organised by the Kill the Housing Bill campaign and will be attended by council tenants, home owners, private renters, architects, students, migrants groups, women’s campaigns, trade unionists and many more. It is supported by a wide range of MPs, Lords and celebrities.

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, said:

“People are desperate for a stable and decent home they can actually afford to live in but the Tories Housing Bill will make the housing crisis drastically worse. Labour is opposing it in Parliament but I’m also opposing it outside Parliament by supporting the Kill the Housing Bill demonstration on the 13th March. Millions of people across the country are struggling to afford to rent or buy a home but the Government is callous in its disregard for people’s right to secure themselves the right to a decent home. This bill demonstrates the worst attack on social housing provision seen in decades. It will result in more genuinely affordable social housing units being sold off which is scandalous when we have such a severe housing crisis on our hands. Under this Tory Government homelessness is already sharply on the rise and thousands are being socially cleansed from our cities”.

Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP said:

“I am proud to support the Kill the Housing Bill campaign in their fight to stand up and defend the right to a secure and truly affordable home for everyone. The Government had an opportunity to utterly rethink the housing model  but instead they have put another nail in the coffin for social housing. This Bill  is being used to pull the rug from underneath those who rely on our already limited stock of social housing, destroying the very bricks and mortar of the welfare state.  It is also a sure fire way to extend  – not end – the housing crisis”

A spokesperson for the Kill the Housing Bill campaign said:

“The Tories’ Housing Bill aims to destroy council housing, and will hit everyone on low or middle incomes trying to rent or buy. It condemns millions to a lifetime of insecure, expensive private renting. Everyone deserves a decent home, but landlords, developers and the rich will be the only ones to benefit from this Bill.”

The proposed legislation:

●    Forces local authorities to sell ‘high value’ properties on the private market when they become empty – the biggest council housing sell-off in generations.

●    Abolishes new secure lifetime tenancies in council housing, replacing them with 2 – 5 year tenancies.

●    Hits social tenants with a combined income of £30,000 (£40,000 in London) or more with a ‘pay to stay’ tax, to bring their rent up to market levels – an up to 400% increase.

●    Does nothing to address the housing crisis, and instead replaces obligations to build social housing with Cameron’s unaffordable ‘starter homes’ – requiring an annual income of £70,000 in London.

Sarah Quigley, a council tenant from North London on the effect the bill have on her family:

“I live in Camden in a one bedroom council flat with my partner and two young daughters, and I am a carer for my disabled mother, who lives nearby. If the Housing Bill is passed there is no way we will be able to get the two-bed council flat that we need, and it will mean that I can no longer afford to live in Camden, or even London, where I have lived all my life.”

Notes to editors:

●    The march will assemble at Lincoln’s Inn Fields, WC2A 3TL at 12 noon on Sunday 13 March. The route of the demo is via Aldwych, the Strand, crossing over the river to the South bank, and returning over Westminster Bridge to Parliament. The march will end with a rally in Parliament Square at 2pm.

●    The march will be joined by a number of politicians and celebrities. Speakers who plan to attend (although tbc) include Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell, Caroline Lucas, Natalie Bennett and celebrities.

●    The Kill the Housing Bill campaign is supported by Defend Council Housing, Radical Housing Network, Focus E15 campaign, Momentum, People’s Assembly, GMB Union, National Union of Teachers (NUT), Communication Workers Union (CWU), Bakers Union, Unite Housing Workers, London Gypsy Traveller Unit, National Bargee Travellers Association, Leeds Hands Off Our Homes, The Green Party, John McDonnell MP and many more.

●    Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/973999866019425/

●    For more information see: killthehousingbill.wordpress.com

●    For Shelter’s assessment of the Housing Bill see: this Shelter report

●    For a brief overview of the Housing Bill see: this report

●    Spokespeople from the campaign and people in housing crisis or who will be directly affected by the Bill are available to interview.

Press Contact:

Email: killthehousingbillmedia@gmail.com

Joe Beswick 07873 557040

Katya Nasim 07791 018631