By Elizabeth Hopkirk2021-02-22T07:01:00+00:00
Report suggests using church land for affordable housing, while calling on government to improve quality and sustainability of existing homes
The government must create a 20-year, cross-party strategy to transform housing and solve multiple issues of injustice from affordability to dangerous cladding, the Church of England argues in a new report.
The strategy should include a specific target for the number of homes which are truly affordable, 10 and 20 years out, and who should bear the financial burden for achieving this.
Government must also seek to improve the quality and environmental sustainability of existing housing stock, it said. The report includes recommendations about public subsidy and how the planning system might be used to progressively reduce land prices. It also tackles the cladding scandal, benefit cuts, no-fault evictions and the use of public land.
20/02/2021 The Head of Planning for the Duchy of Cornwall is to help take forward the Church of England’s work to tackle the housing crisis, it was announced today.
Nick Pollock has been seconded to a three-strong executive team reporting to the Church of England’s Lead Bishop for Housing, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, working to help the Church of England meet housing need in local communities.
He will join Canon Chris Beales, a member of the Archbishops’ Commission on Housing, Church and Community, who has been working with the Diocese of Gloucester; and Benjamin Preece Smith, Diocesan Secretary of the Diocese of Gloucester.
20/02/2021 The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have released a landmark new report, Coming Home , which sets out a bold new vision for housing and community
The Church of England should lead by example, including delivering more truly affordable homes on its own land, to help solve the housing crisis, says a landmark report published today by the Archbishops’ Commission on Housing, Church and Community.
A collective effort at all levels of society including Government, local authorities, landowners and property developers as well as the Church is needed to help tackle an acute shortage of truly affordable homes, the report
Coming Home, says.
Church resources “As a parish vicar, I don’t need to go out looking for housing need, it comes to me. .it surely can’t be right that I lock the door of a sound, safe, heated building on someone huddled in a sleeping bag outside?
What does that say about Isaiah’s words in chapter 58 vs 7 to ‘share food with the hungry and give shelter to the homeless’? Lynne Cullens, Rector of Stockport and Brinnington and a member of the Commission
We have partnered with Housing Justice to release these resources, to empower churches to respond to the local housing need of their area.
Charlie Arbuthnot (Chair)
Charlie Arbuthnot worked in investment banking in the City from 1978 until 2008. During this time, he opened up various new markets including the market for private finance for housing associations and advised Her Majesty’s Government on introducing private finance to the social housing sector. In 2008, he left to set up his own business and became a self-employed financial advisor to housing associations. This has allowed him to focus on a wider remit covering both financial advice to housing associations and strategic advice around building community and inter-connecting relevant stakeholders with a view to community transformation. Charlie also sat on the main board of The Housing Finance Corporation (2008-2018) and was the Chair of THFC s Credit Committee (2014-2018). His pro bono roles include work with the London Borough of Wandsworth on faith and community, hate crime and elderly outreach, mentoring various individuals and several small emerging bu