Report on London: housing crisis - mobilising churches

Street homelessness is on the rise

Christian leaders and organisations involved in action on housing and homelessness have today (Monday 10 December) launched a report on The Housing Crisis in London: mobilising the church. The report follows the conference of the same name organised by Housing Justice, the London Churches Group for Social Action and the Methodist/Baptist/URC Joint Public Issues Team on 10 October, World Homeless Day.

This was called in response to the growing shortage of affordable housing in London, now reaching crisis proportions for people on low or average incomes, and to households receiving welfare benefits.

Clergy and church personnel, as well as advice and support workers, are already mobilising as poorer households are increasingly being priced out of their homes in London. The welfare reforms in 2013 are widely expected to make this crisis even worse.

The Conference brought together more than 70 church leaders and representatives. Expert speakers, whose presentations are in the report, included Paul Morrison of the Methodist/Joint Public Issues Team on Poverty; Kate Barker CBE, on Financial Policy: Steve Wilcox of York University on Housing Supply; and Alison Gelder of Housing Justice, who set out some alternatives to Benefits Caps.

Several recommendations for action are in the report. These include the need for more ethical lettings agencies, charging fair rents and being prepared to grant longer and more secure tenancies.

Christian landowners and investors (including churches) are urged to use available land to develop genuinely affordable housing for individuals and families with the greatest need.

Christians are also encouraged to take a stand against public attitudes or NIMBYism, and support the development of more homes where they are most needed.

Further recommendations include challenging the benefit cuts and caps, and tackling the injustices in the present taxation system.

Terry Drummond of the London Church Leaders Group for Social Action writes in the report: "It is completely unacceptable in 2012/13 that a wealthy nation such as the United Kingdom leaves so many individuals and families living in sub standard housing.

The challenge we offer is to government both local and national, to landlords and to the Churches who are in many cases both landowners and landlords. In addressing government we cannot avoid looking at ourselves and working together to bring about change.

This is about how ordinary people survive - or fail to survive - in British society."

Alison Gelder of Housing Justice said: "To have somewhere we call home is a fundamental part of our human dignity. To be deprived of such a basic necessity is to feel less than human"

James North of the Joint Public Issues Team added "Churches and individual Christians are called to be good news for the poor. We have rallied to this call before and now it is time to do it again".

The report may be downloaded in full from: www.housingjustice.org.uk

Printed copies are available for £7.50 inc p&p. Make cheques payable to Housing Justice. postal address: 256 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UJ