Housing Debate – decent homes for all

Housing Crisis

#undc The events at Grenfell Tower, where so many lives have been needlessly lost, was at the heart of today’s debate on housing policy. A speaker from Kensington and Chelsea UNISON sent solidarity to the victims and spoke of how UNISON members had been on the ground, often volunteering, from the start. It’s not ordinary housing workers who have caused this disaster.

Photograph of March for Homes from Parliament Square to Downing Street on 24 June 2017.
In UNISON: ‘March for Homes’ and ‘Women’s March against the DUP’ from Parliament Square to Downing Street, 24 June 2017. Photograph by Tim Fransen.

Speaker after speaker made it clear that it is the rundown of council housing that has led to the shortage of decent, affordable and safe homes. Jeremy Corbyn’s manifesto called for 1 million new homes including 500,000 council homes. We need to support this call and hold Labour to their promise.

Successive governments have in effect handed housing over to the private sector and hamstrung council housing. Housing Associations are being turned into developers in all but name. Members spoke of the plight of young people unable to afford a home or spending half their income on housing costs. The disaster of closing refuges for women and children fleeing domestic violence was highlighted – a situation which is made worse by the lack of other housing. Women are being condemned to abuse and even death by this crisis.

Photograph of Women’s March against the DUP from Parliament Square to Downing Street on 24 June 2017.
In UNISON: ‘Women’s March against the DUP’ and ‘March for Homes’ from Parliament Square to Downing Street, 24 June 2017. Photograph by Tim Fransen.

A Tower Hamlets delegate pointed out that £5,000 might have paid for safe cladding for Grenfell. He called for all blocks to have sprinkler systems.

Conference agreed to support a march for housing on Saturday 24th June and to continue working with organisations like Defend Council Housing and Axe the Housing Act.

March for Homes