Speaking to Usdaw’s Annual Delegate Meeting in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary Elect said: “Everyone should have the right to affordable housing that is built to a decent standard and ensures the health and safety of the tenants.
 
“This Government acts like good housing is a luxury only available to those people who can afford it. Years of austerity have driven down living standards. With ever more people struggling to access decent housing, we need to campaign to ensure everyone has a right to decent quality, affordable housing.
 
“It is increasingly noticeable just how many homeless and rough sleepers there are in our towns and cities. There are also thousands of families living in temporary, poor quality accommodation. The number of homeless households has jumped by a third in the last five years.
 
“Homelessness and insecurity is driven by: The rise of insecure work; benefit cuts; increases in rents, and a shortage of affordable housing. Research has shown that homelessness will double to over half a million in the next 25 years, if effective action is not taken.
 
“Research also shows there are 200,000 homes that have been empty for six months and more than 11,000 homes have been empty for the past 10 years. The Government should support local authorities to use powers to take over properties that have been empty for at least six months. Only one in 13 councils have used these empty dwelling management orders in 2017.
 
“Morally, as a society, we cannot continue to allow so many homes to lie empty, while more and more people are sleeping rough, sofa surfing or facing the threat of homelessness.
 
“Everyone should have the right to live in decent-standard, affordable housing. The trade union movement must redouble its efforts to campaign for housing that is decent, affordable and safe.”
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 28% over the decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion