Tag: housing

Bishop of Winchester raises need for more social housing in rural areas

On 5th December 2017 Baroness Jones of Whitchurch asked Her Majesty’s Government “what actions they plan to take to tackle rural poverty.” The Bishop of Winchester, Rt Revd Tim Dakin, asked a follow up question:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: My Lords, housing is a key factor in evaluating poverty. In the county of Hampshire alone, over 20,000 people are on council-house waiting lists, with over 4,000 of them in the New Forest. Given that the Government have recently announced significant new funding for new housebuilding and new affordable homes, can the Minister give us a clear indication of the expected spending on homes for social rent in rural areas? Continue reading “Bishop of Winchester raises need for more social housing in rural areas”

Autumn Budget 2017 – response from Bishop of Birmingham

Press release from the Church of England website:

Responding today (22nd November 2017) to the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget Statement, the Bishop of Birmingham, Rt. Revd David Urquhart, Convenor of the Lords Spiritual, said:

“The Chancellor’s Budget has gone some way to deal with the immediate problems facing our economy, housing and NHS, but it could have gone much further to help the many at the sharp end struggling to get by.

“Across the country churches support and are in touch with those who experience poverty or financial difficulty as a result of low pay, illness, or debt. The Budget statement provided an opportunity to make a difference to the lives of the most disadvantaged at a time when the cost of living is rising. The country faces substantial financial challenges and the growth forecast downgrades are worrying. But whilst the Chancellor has limited room for manoeuvre, there is more that could have been done to alleviate the situation of those who are struggling to manage. Deficit reduction is important, but should be achieved in ways that promote fairness, generosity, and sustainability. Bishops frequently raise these issues in the House of Lords and in meetings with ministers, and will continue to do so. Continue reading “Autumn Budget 2017 – response from Bishop of Birmingham”

Bishop of Ely calls for diversity and not profit to be guiding principle in new housing provision

On 14th November 2017 Lord Naseby asked Her Majesty’s Government “what work they have undertaken to plan for another generation of New Towns”. The Bishop of Ely, Rt Revd Stephen Conway, asked a follow up question:

The Lord Bishop of Ely: My Lords, plans for new towns must include a wide range of different kinds of housing to enable all people to access decent, affordable homes. Developers often wish to build large, four or five-bedroom houses—unsurprisingly, as they make the most profit—but families, couples and single-person households need very different kinds of properties. How are Her Majesty’s Government planning to ensure that a wide range of housing sizes and tenures will be provided in these new developments? Continue reading “Bishop of Ely calls for diversity and not profit to be guiding principle in new housing provision”

Bishop of Durham asks about assistance for private renters with budgetary problems

On 25th October 2017 the Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, received an answer to a written question on landlord payments for those who have difficulty managing budgets:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to increase access to Managed Payment to Landlord Alternative Payment Arrangements for private tenants who have difficulty budgeting on a monthly basis.

Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about assistance for private renters with budgetary problems”

Bishop of Rochester asks Government about housing affordability and homelessness

On 17th & 18th October 2017 the Bishop of Rochester, Rt Revd James Langstaff, received answers to two written questions on housing affordability and homelessness:

The Lord Bishop of Rochester:

(i) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the private rented sector is affordable to those on Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.

(ii) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the freeze on Local Housing Allowance on levels of homelessness in England. Continue reading “Bishop of Rochester asks Government about housing affordability and homelessness”

Bishop of Leeds asks Government about economy, infrastructure and devolution in the north and Yorkshire

On 16th October 2017 the Bishop of Leeds, Rt Revd Nick Baines, received written answers to five questions about housing, immigration, the economy and devolution in the north and Yorkshire:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds:

(i) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of large housing developments with insufficient infrastructure and amenities on community cohesion, social capital, and social inclusion.

(ii) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the level of immigration required, if any, to support the Northern Powerhouse.

(iii) To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in addition to their devolution programme for cities, what steps they are taking to promote the rural economy.

(iv)  To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report by the Institute for Public Policy Research, Time for Change: A New Vision for the British Economy, what assessment they have made of the potential for the Northern Powerhouse to restructure the national economy.

(v) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Yorkshire councils’ “coalition of the willing” to secure a single devolution deal for Yorkshire.

Continue reading “Bishop of Leeds asks Government about economy, infrastructure and devolution in the north and Yorkshire”

Bishop of Chelmsford says decent affordable housing is key to stable, secure communities

On 12th October 2017 the House of Lords debated a motion from Lord Smith of Leigh, “That this House takes note of the impact of Her Majesty’s Government’s policies on the availability and affordability of housing.” 

Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, the Bishop of Chelmsford, spoke in the debate, highlighting the importance for stable and secure communities of decent affordable housing. He said that London “is in danger of becoming a city where teachers, nurses, social workers and even Christian ministers can no longer afford to live”.

Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford says decent affordable housing is key to stable, secure communities”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about affordable housing

On 25th & 27th September 2017 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received answers to two questions about house building:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the impact of the removal of the requirement for developers to provide a certain proportion of affordable housing in developments of ten homes or fewer on the number of small and medium-sized enterprise builders over the last two years.

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about affordable housing”

Bishop of St Albans letter to Times on need for more affordable rural housing

On 20th September 2017 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, was a signatory to a letter to The Times newspaper about affordable rural housing:

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Sir, A thriving countryside needs more good quality, genuinely affordable homes (“Country Unfair”, leading article, Sep 19). Only one in ten homes in rural areas is classed as affordable, compared with one in five in urban areas. The proportion of new affordable homes is shrinking, and rural areas face a significant shortfall over the next five years. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans letter to Times on need for more affordable rural housing”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government when housing strategy will be implemented

On 14th September 2017 the Bishop of St Albans asked a question he had tabled to Government about the Government’s housing strategy. His question and follow-up are below, as are the follow up questions from other Members of the House:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations contained in the Housing White Paper, Fixing our broken housing market.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government and Northern Ireland Office (Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth) (Con): My Lords, housing is a priority for this Government. We are committed to ensuring radical and lasting reform to get homes built now and in future, and are delivering the changes needed to make that happen. For example, we have already launched a £2.3 billion ​fund, which we committed to in the White Paper, to provide essential infrastructure to support up to 100,000 new homes.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, the consultation on the housing White Paper was published on 2 May and, as we know, it contained urgently needed measures to address the critical shortfall of housing here in the UK. When does the Minister expect the results of that consultation to be ready, and when can we expect a revised National Planning Policy Framework? Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government when housing strategy will be implemented”