Housing organisations must play a central role in a society “more divided than ever”, the chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing told delegates in Manchester at the opening of its annual housing conference, Housing 2017.
Terrie Alafat used her opening speech to urge the government to promise funding for genuinely affordable homes. Housing 2017 started with a minute’s silence for Grenfell Tower victims as Ms Alafat said the CIH would play its part in making sure tragedy “never happens again”.
“If the shock general election result and the last 12 months have taught us anything, it’s that our society is more divided than it has ever been. Divided politically, financially, by generation and by ideology.
“People in our communities face challenges every day, and those challenges are different for each person.
“In such times our role at the heart of our communities is more important than it has ever been.
“Because one thing that unites us all is our need to have a place to call home. To have shelter, security, safety, happiness and warmth: a place from which we and our children, and their children can flourish and thrive.”
“If the shock general election result and the last 12 months have taught us anything, it’s that our society is more divided than it has ever been. Divided politically, financially, by generation and by ideology.”
Terrie Alafat, CIH
Referring to the Grenfell Tower fire two weeks ago, Alafat said: “I want to make one thing absolutely clear – we will be doing everything we can to play our part in making sure this never happens again.”
New research launched by CIH on the first day of the conference revealed that in some areas of the country rents have risen dramatically compared to earnings between May 2011 and May 2017.
In London rents increased 22% over the period, nearly four times faster than the projected increase in average earnings of just 6%. While in the South East, rents increased 15% compared to a projected 7% increase in average earnings.
In other regions in England rents went up in line with earnings or slower than earnings.
But a new survey by Ipsos MORI for CIH has found that 52% of private renters across the UK are concerned they will not be able to afford their housing, 56% report a great deal or fair amount of stress being caused by housing costs, and 44% think they might have to move from their area in the future because the cost of housing is too high.
Referring to the research in her speech, Alafat said: “Taken together, the polling and the results of our research paint a very stark picture of the choices facing many people today.
“Even with the new funding announced by the last government our analysis shows that of the £51bn earmarked for housing until 2021 just £8bn, or 16%, will directly fund the building of affordable housing. The vast majority of the rest will support private housing – particularly home ownership.
“We’re calling on our new government to take another look at this imbalance, because the simple truth is, we need direct investment in genuinely affordable housing if we’re going to solve the housing crisis.”
