The chief executive of a Brighton housing and homelessness charity has called on the government to take urgent steps to fix the housing crisis.
David Chaffey, chief executive of BHT Sussex, formerly known Brighton Housing Trust, spoke out as the charity joined the National Housing Federation’s “Plan for Housing” campaign.
BHT Sussex: “The campaign calls for a national long-term plan to transform the housing system and brings together housing associations across the country who want to collaborate with the government to deliver it.
“BHT Sussex provides social housing and is a member of the National Housing Federation (NHF). As a social landlord, it provided 481 households and individuals across Sussex with community housing last year.”
This was alongside its work providing supported accommodation and specialist services for vulnerable people.
The charity said: “The National Housing Federation argues with this campaign that a long-term plan for housing could fix child homelessness and provide the security of a social home for one million more people, as well as improving affordability and boosting productivity, all by 2035.
“They point out that there are many wider socio-economic benefits to building more social homes, including job creation, better educational outcomes and savings to the NHS.”
Mr Chaffey said: “We believe that everyone deserves a safe home.
“Research from Shelter and the NHF has shown that building 90,000 social rented homes would generate £12 billion profit to the taxpayer over 30 years so the investment makes economic sense on top of all the other benefits that secure and decent housing brings.
“As well as providing social homes, we run specialist ‘housing advice centres’ in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings, areas with long social housing waiting lists and a serious lack of affordable housing.
“Last year, our advisers prevented 820 people from becoming homeless, but every day they see the devastating consequences of the housing crisis on people’s lives.
“We need a long-term plan to transform this country’s housing system and that’s why we support this campaign.”
BHT Sussex is a registered charity made up of interlinked projects and services aimed at empowering people to overcome homelessness, poverty, addiction and mental ill health.
The charity added: “We support more than 10,000 people across Sussex each year. We are a registered social landlord and fully compliant with the Regulator for Social Housing.”
To find out more about the National Housing Federation’s “Plan for Housing” campaign, click here.
For more detail about the National Housing Federation’s long-term plan, click here.
To read the research from Shelter and the NHF about the economic benefits of building social housing, click here.
What this man does to his tenants, and I should know I was one of them for over a decade before Andy Winters left.
He is absolutely appalling and has no sense of responsibility.
His dismal treatment of my old block is still ongoing. It is full of mould and antisocial behaviour continues. All of his staff have been trained to be likewise, they seem to lack personal responsibility to the welfare of the tenants. This is not sour grapes, this is the experience of myself and many others who had the misfortune to live under his management.
The man has not grown up and does not take responsibility for the welfare of his tenants.
Hmm, there’s nearly always more to a story then what is told, so I’m a little reluctant to take everything you say there at face value.
However, I think the council’s pilot might be an interesting exercise moving forward with supported and emergency accommodations. As there is no clearly definitely standard framework all organisations run to, everyone does appear to have very different experiences.
Renters Reform Bill also is going to put more responsibility to landlords to ensure their properties are of a decent standard though, and this should translate into these projects as well.
Perhaps there is an element of you get what you pay for ?
Yes, Benjamin, of course there is and I don’t blame you for putting it in the comment. BHT are very good for homeless people. But what I’m talking about is people who have moved in from the housing list or just regular tenants BHT took over this block from Affinity Sutton – now called Clarion. Mr. Chaffey and his team seem to offer no support for any antisocial behaviour, drug use, mould and many other problems in the block. The turnover of stuff is unbelievable, which is often a sign of a dysfunctional company.
Chris, people who live in these blogs pay the rent which is required of them. All housing associations are charities but it doesn’t make them cheap and it certainly doesn’t make them effective alternatives to council properties, whether there is a management team for accountability. Some of these housing associations I’ve gone rogue.. They are answerable to nobody.
I believe they get a good number of referrals and some funding from the BHCC? In which case, I would perhaps suggest on the strength of your arguments, speaking to your Ward Councillor, the Ward Councillor of the area, and Cllr Gill Williams, maybe all three, and ask if they, or council representatives, would be happy to visit the properties, get some feedback from current and ex-residents, and have a bit of a review of the quality of the services provided?