You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Homelessness charity partners with high street bank in call for more social rented housing
Lloyds Banking Group and homelessness charity Crisis have announced a two-year partnership targeting Britain’s social housing shortage.
Both the bank and charity are calling on the government to build one million new affordable homes over the next 10 years and make them available to people on the lowest incomes, particularly those at risk of homelessness.
The government’s 2021 Affordable Homes Programme currently plans to deliver 157,000 homes by March 2029, after it downgraded from an original target of 180,000.
Crisis said the programme’s target of delivering 30,000 homes for social rent by 2026 was “nowhere near the 450,000 [90,000 per year] needed”.
Lloyds will support the charity in launching a not-for-profit lettings agency later this year, with the aim of making renting easier and cheaper for people facing homelessness.
Crisis said the agency would “avoid poor and exclusionary practices” by not requiring homeless people to pay rent in advance, meet strict reference requirements and provide guarantors.
READ MORE
The new agency will be run in partnership with Homes for Good, Scotland’s first social enterprise lettings agency founded in 2013. It will start operating in London, with plans to expand across Britain.
Lloyds will also provide funding for Crisis’ Changing Lives grants programme, which gives financial support to homeless people entering education, employment or starting small businesses.
The partnership will involve Northern Irish charity Simon Community, which will work with Crisis to deliver training to UK businesses and communities on preventing homelessness.
A report from Crisis last week determined from survey data that 1.8 million low-income households are living in poor conditions amid a severe shortage of social housing, high rental prices and the rising cost of living.
The report added that more than 200,000 households who tried to move last year were forced to accept a property that was unsuitable.
Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, said: “Our new research shows the heartbreaking reality for people at the sharp end of the housing emergency. Behind these statistics are the stories we hear in our frontline services – parents having to sleep in chairs so their children can take the only bed, or wheelchair users forced to take a flat on a second floor with a faulty lift.
“These situations are unacceptable and it’s a disgrace that some people are left with only two options: poor-quality housing that could endanger their health, or homelessness.
“Our new partnership with Lloyds Banking Group will ensure we can take the bold action that is desperately needed to begin tackling the biggest issue facing the people we support: the chronic shortage of good-quality, affordable housing.
“Our new lettings agency will mean we can help people experiencing homelessness directly into safe, settled homes – the essential foundation they need to rebuild their lives.”
Charlie Nunn, chief executive of Lloyds Lloyds Banking Group, added: “A good home is a fundamental human need, and yet the reality is a chronic lack of affordable housing in the UK. This means there are too many people trapped in a cycle of temporary accommodation, or living in poor, sometimes dangerous, conditions.
“This cannot be right and is why, today, we are announcing our new partnership with Crisis – calling for one million new social homes to be built by 2033, with the clear focus on helping people who are most at risk of homelessness.
“We face an immense challenge, but we know that answers can be found through financial innovation, partnerships and fresh thinking. And as financial leaders for the social housing sector, we have a responsibility to use our capabilities, scale and relationships to help bring about positive change.”
Sign up for our homelessness bulletin
Already have an account? Click here to manage your newsletters
