Successive governments have 'neglected housing'

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This country faces a real housing crisis with rising homelessness, says head of policy at Crisis, Katharine Sacks-Jones.

Crisis has serious concerns that the Localism Bill will weaken the homelessness legislation and significantly undermine the housing security of vulnerable households.

The bill is wide ranging, covering planning, local government and community empowerment. Significantly, it also represents a huge shift in housing policy, including a weakening of the rights of those owed the main homelessness duty, who will no longer be able to turn down an offer of private rented accommodation. It will also give social housing providers the power to offer flexible, short term tenancies of as little as two years. Worryingly, these reforms have received little parliamentary scrutiny, as time for debate has been cut short in both the Commons and the Lords.

Greater freedom for local authorities must not come at the expense of the most vulnerable in society. Whilst many councils will doubtless use their new powers responsibly, we already know of at least one intending to offer two-year tenancies as standard. In response to concerns raised by Crisis and others, the government has said that it will set out in guidance that tenancies of less than five years should only be offered in exceptional circumstances. It is a small concession, but one which should offer some protection for vulnerable tenants.

We believe, however, that much more needs to be done to protect vulnerable households. At the very least the government should amend the Bill to increase the minimum tenancy length, and put in place safeguards and minimum standards to protect homeless households. It should also use the opportunity of this legislation to improve the support offered by local authorities to single homeless people, who are not generally entitled to any accommodation and often receive only minimal advice and assistance, and sometimes none at all.

More broadly, this country faces a real housing crisis with rising homelessness, 2.5m people on housing waiting lists, and a chronic undersupply of new houses of all tenures. At the same time, the private rented sector is subject to very little regulation, yet is becoming a long term housing option for an ever growing number of households. Now we face a greater assault on housing, with cuts to housing benefit and homelessness services and a halving of the housing budget.

The Localism Bill and these hasty cuts are not the right way forward, and government should think again. Housing has long been the poor political relation to crime, education and health but it underpins all three and is vital to life chances. The government should make it a political priority and take steps to really address the challenges we face, which have been neglected by governments of all colours for far too long.

Throughout recess, ePolitix.com will be focusing on a different policy theme each week. This week we are featuring articles with a focus on localism and the Big Society.