On the week that the report into the Grenfell Tower fire has been published we are all acutely aware of the systemic failings in our social housing sector and the urgent need for change.

Thank you to everyone who came to our Neighbourhood Forum about housing. There was a lot of information shared and discussed. Here we have tried to capture an overview of what we discussed, what’s next and where you can go to for advice, support or to continue the conversation.

If you have any feedback on the event or you wanted to share something that you weren’t able to on the night then do contact Stacy via email stacy@upourstreet.org.uk or call 07922 422 156.

 

The challenges

• 1,400 people in temporary accommodation and rising
• This is costing £13m a year in subsidy loss as the Government pays benefit rates to the council at 2011 rates and rental prices in Bristol much higher
• House building has been outsourced to the private sector who only want to make profit
• Private sector providing sub-standard accommodation while make huge profits
• Social housing is institutionally racist

 

Discussions

Empty properties – ‘meanwhile use’
Using vacant blocks and buildings to provide accommodation.

Building more social housing
Using brownfield sites and small plots of unused land to aggregate into larger projects for development.

Student flats
These are dominating the city’s landscapes as they are more profitable for developers.
What will happen to these if student numbers decline as is predicted?

Standards and community
Building for communities not just houses.
How can council and citizens lobby for high quality housing – quality not just quantity.

The Local Plan
Areas designated for development changing light industrial land into student flats in St Philips Marsh.
What will the impact be on available employment to the local community?

The solutions – underway

• More people need to engage in supporting planning applications for social housing.
• The council needs to aggregate small brownfield sites (unused land for small numbers of housing) for ‘gentle infill’ building smaller developments.
• Modern construction methods which are quicker need to be employed.
• The council needs to look to pension funds for investment.
• Private rental licencing to inspect properties and improve conditions.
• Goram Homes – the council’s own building company.
• Regulating Registered Social Landlords to have more diversity on their board and in recruitment.
• Living Rent Commission looking at rent controls.
• Programme of upgrades to current social housing stock.

The citizen action

Write to your MP – urge your MP to make housing a priority issue and that urgent action is needed to provide more social housing.

Attend Homes and Housing Delivery Policy Committee and make a statement

Spare rooms to refugees

Support planning applications for social housing – (current live consultations include new homes for Filwood Broadway and using council housing as temporary accommodation and lots of other affordable housing developments)

Support 1625ip with its plans for a new hub for homeless young people

Join ACORN citizen union

Tiny Housing Community Bristol – learning the skills to build our own homes working together with land from the council –

Support the work of Black South West Network – working with We Can Make on house building

Learn from Knowle West and how We Can Make our own homes

Get advice from Housing Matters

Support campaigns from Shelter