Addressing conference delegates in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary said: “Housing is one of the many crises our society has faced in recent years and as such, many people's experiences, from right across the housing sector, have not been good, whether its people trapped in an apartment block with dangerous cladding, unable to afford a deposit due to skyrocketing house prices, or stuck in the rental sector in damp and unsafe conditions, our housing market is failing millions.
“However, with the right policies, the right priorities and the right planning, it is clear that we can deliver better homes for everyone. The Labour Government has committed to delivering 1.5 million new homes over the course of this Parliament and we have already seen significant action to deliver this.
“New housing must be shaped by the needs of the people who will live there, whether that's providing affordable housing, ensuring all new builds are accessible, or building housing around other community assets such as GP surgeries, schools and retail stores.
“When people can access social housing, their rent is linked to local incomes. Meaning they have genuinely affordable and secure housing options. So much so that the weekly rent for a genuine social home is around half the cost of private renting. In the early 1980s, nearly one in three households lived in social homes. Today, there are over 1 million people on social housing waiting lists, desperate to get a good quality home they can afford.
“The lack of availability of social housing, in conjunction with the broad trend of rising house prices, is why more people are finding they have no option but to try getting by in privately rented housing. Which, as many of us know all too well, can often be unaffordable, insecure, and has for too long provided opportunities for landlords to exploit a power imbalance. Not enough housing has been built to meet the country's needs and increasing numbers of people who would benefit from social housing are left to compete for a dwindling number of available homes, for which the quality has reduced due to a lack of investment.
“There used to be a statutory requirement for, at least 10% of new homes in major developments to be designated for affordable home ownership. However, this requirement was removed in December 2024 and even before then, many house builders found loopholes to avoid delivering on this commitment.
“The bottom line is that social housing is so important, but we clearly don't have anywhere near enough of it. With the right policies, the right priorities and the right planning, we can fix these problems.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
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