London: first time rough sleepers up 12%
Cost of living crisis
A shocking total of 1,614 people in the capital were recorded as sleeping rough for the first time between April and June 2023 by the Combined Homelessness and Information Network ( VIEW
Unsupported Housing Officers under pressure
Survey supports Unite claims
Overwhelmed, left without adequate support and training, desperately search for jobs outside the sector – this is the picture VIEW
Labour commit to not spending on home building
Huge profits
Rachel Reeves has announced that Labour will not spend public money on building houses. She used the Laura Kuenssber
Building a political voice to fight the housing crisis
Every week new figures illustrate deepening housing crisis
As the housing crisis intensifies, how can we fight back? Our branch is campaigning for policies that would make a difference and we engage in
Rough sleeping figures are up by over a quarter
Cuts and closures
Rough sleeping and all forms of homelessness are on the rise. Meanwhile reports are coming in of service closures and cuts. Our branch has repeatedly warned that government policy would lead to a ris
Mandatory training for housing staff
Return to professional training
After years of deregulation of social landlords and the widespread closure of specialist housing courses the government has announced that mandatory qualifications will be introduced for
Fire Chiefs call for tower block safety measures
No more single staircase blocks
After the Grenfell fire we were told it would mark a watershed; there would be change. But change has been slow or non-existent. The bonfire of regulation has not been reversed. Our bra
Confessions of a hostel worker
How do they pay the rent?
A recent article on the BBC website caught my imagination as it throws light on how much harder life has
Successful Support not Deport meeting
Cooperation with the Home Office
Our branch hosted a good meeting last week on the Support not Deport campaign. This meeting brought together Unite, Unison and IWGB members. The Public Interest law centre and a ra
New Home Office guidance puts homeless at risk of deportation
Support not deport Charter
New guidance setting out circumstances in which
Housing day of action - supported by Unite housing workers
Stop evictions! Drop debts!
Branch members will join housing campaigners and Tamil Solidarity on Saturday April 17th in a day of action on housing demanding: “Stop the evictions! Drop the debts!”
Forced deportation of rough sleepers discriminatory
Internal Home Office reports finds discrimination
New immigration rules to criminalise and deport rough sleepers may discriminate against ethnic minorities, including Asian women who have survived domestic violence ac
Legal win in battle for women only refuges for homeless women
Significant cuts
We welcome the success of the legal challenge to Camden Council’s practice of accommodating homeless women fleeing abuse in shared hostels with men. The Unite housing workers branch supported PI
Grenfell: Inquiry is slowly revealing scandal
“Almost everyone” affected by safety crisis.
Watching the Grenfell inquiry has been an agonising process for the survivors and bereaved. But it has become clear that fire safety problems are much wider tha
Put a roof over people’s heads
Unite urges Jenrick to further extend ban on evictions for those renting their homes
The UK has some appalling housing inequalities. Overcrowded and unfit accommodation is too common. Millions of people are struggling
Unite calls for eviction ban extension
Jenrick urged to follow Scotland’s footsteps and extend ban on evictions for renters
Thousands of renters are only days away from homelessness unless the government extends the ban on evictions due to end on Mon
Stop the government deporting homeless people!
Crowdfunding legal challenge
Homelessness workers are opposing the disgraceful proposals to deport homeless rough sleepers though their un
Deportation plans threaten homelessness services
Frontline homelessness workers oppose brutal policy
Homelessness workers reacted with anger at proposals to deport rough sleepers. Vulnerable people sleeping rough often mistrust agencies and are unwilling to en
Tories reduce winter homeless funding
£1 million less for cold weather shelters
The government announced £12 million of additional cold winter funding to support r
Mass evictions threatened
Cancel rent
The threat of eviction has been a major topic of discussion among branch members fearing for their own homes once the eviction ban is lifted and wondering what landlords that they work for will do.
<Unite homelessness workers warn of rough sleeping disaster
Rough sleepers asked to move in with family
Housing minister Luke Hall has written to local councils asking them to put in place plans to support rough sleepers as the lockdown restrictions are eased. He suggests that
People still rough sleeping: Read about it, sign the petition
Two articles on rough sleeping and see below for petition.
Homelessness worker and branch secretary Jack Jeffrey writes:
Homeless people still not able to access accommodation
New money “doesn’t repair the damage done by years of austerity”
‘Revolving door’ of housing ministers hinders plans to eradicate rough sleeping
The ‘disgraceful’ number of rough sleepers across the country demands a joined
EU rough sleepers and the NHS
This report was originally published by the Public Interest Law Centre. Our branch has been active on the rights of EU rough sleepers and we have consista
First home discounts: investment in public housing still needed
First home discounts for key workers must be part of a sustainable housing strategy
Government plans to give key workers 30 per cent discounts on their first homes must be balanced with a council housing strategy that
Rough sleepers bin shelter ‘dangerous and offensive'
Unite calls out Millionaire
A supposed shelter made of two wheelie bins designed by a multimillionaire to help rough sleepers is ‘dangerous and grossly offensive’, Unite said today.
Labour declares “moral mission” to end rough sleeping
Impact of austerity
Our members working with rough sleepers have a burning awareness of the impact of austerity. As a branch we have produced material highlighting the impact of VIEW
TheGuardian: Why isnt homelessness election priority? A response
"Britain has a horrific homelessness crisis. Why isn't it an election priority?"
It’s Time to Be Honest about Housing
For decades terms like 'affordable,' 'social,' 'mixed' have been used as cover for market failures in housing - it's time to move on from those schemes and commit to a real solution: council housing. Branch member Glyn Robbins has this in VIEW
Meridian Water: Call for truly affordable council homes
Halt plans for unaffordable homes - build council homes under a Labour government
Chance to offer hope to those trapped by Enfield's housing emergency
&
Firefighters important new report on Grenfell
Fire fighters: Austerity and privatisation by consecutive governments led to Grenfell
An important new report from the Fire Brigade Union (FBU), points to the real causes of the fire at Grenfell Tower.
Labour homelessness campaign launch
Rotten System
Branch members joined the crowd at the launch of the Labour Homelessness campaign last night. We heard Owen Jones describe homelessness a
Rough sleeping cuts: agencies should work with Unite
Spending on rough sleeping halved since 2010
Spending on single homeless people has more than halved since 2010 while rough sleeping has risen by 165% since 2010. No one should be surprised that deaths of homeles
Housing support cuts lead to increased rough sleeping
St Mungo’s report produced in response to government strategy
Rough sleeping is on the rise because of austerity and specifically because of cuts in housing services. Jack Jeffrey, a branch member work
Winners of the Tarnished Trophies Announced!
The winners of the 2018 Tarnished Trophies have been announced following hundreds of votes from workers, residents and tenants. Top of the leader board for this year were:
London assembly questions housing association CEOs
Catalyst boss Rod Cahill fails to impress
Management communication with staff was allegedly helped by derecognising trade unions, at least according to Catalyst housing association boss Rod Cahill. Not surpr
Unite: lack of progress on cladding disgraceful
Likely that St Mungos passed on confidential information
“Likely that St Mungos passed on confidential information without permission”
Rough sleepers rounded up
The Information Commis
Theresa May: no solution to housing crisis
Housing Association bosses give Theresa May standing ovation
Housing association chiefs gave Theresa May a standing ovation for her speech to the National Housing Federation on Wednesday. There can’t be man
Housing Green Paper 'pitiful'
No new money
Faced with public outrage following the deaths at Grenfell tower, a deep housing crisis with unaffordable homes and rising numbers sleeping rough the government promised a “fundament
Branch meeting - tackling the housing crisis
Branch meeting - all members welcome
As well as discussing what is happening in our workplaces including the strike at the VIEW
St Mungos facing legal questions
Lawyers complain to Charity Commission & Information Commissioner
Lawyers from the Public Interest Law Unit (Pilu) have lodged a complaint with the Charity Commission and the Information Commissioner’s Office
Homeless reduction act not funded
Minister: "I dont know why rough sleeper numbers are up"
The new Homelessness Reduction Act comes in to force on April 3rd im
Undercover rough sleeper
ITV Tonight Programme
In a TV programme screening tonight Tory MP Adam Holloway spends a week sleeping rough in Lo
Housing workers contribute to Labour Housing Policy review
Grenfell Tower fire brought home that Britain’s housing system is broken
The Unite housing workers branch has responded to Labour’s consultation on social housing policy by calling for a commitment to a mas
Tory council demonises homeless
Gloucester’s ad campaign shame
Our branch organises workers in a number of homelessness agencies and we camapign for decent properly funded homlessness services and against victimisation of the homeless as we
Axe the Act - Housing Summit Pledges Action!
The second Axe the Act (AtA) Housing Summit took place on the 25th November attended by around 150 activists from housing campaign groups, housing organisations, trade unions, and other labour movement organisations. The meeting opened with speeches from Eileen Short, one of the AtA organisers, h
Budget – not the ‘game changer’ we need
Eighty per cent of housing budget going to private market
Just 2.5% of new homes built last year were social rented. Terrie Alafat, of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), is right to make the point: “So
Housing workers oppose 'hostile environment' for EU nationals
Judicial Review of the Home Office’s policy of detaining and deporting homeless EU citizens
Unite housing branch members will join a protest outside the Royal Courts on Justice on Tuesday Novembe
No more excuses: fit sprinklers now!
Government set face against paying
In the immediate aftermath of the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower the go
Labour and housing after Grenfell
Housing policy rarely been more political
After Grenfell, housing policy and what it’s doing to our communities has rarely been more in the political, media or public eye.
Housing campa
Housing association deregulation takes another step
Housing Associations reclassified as private bodies
An obscure letter from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) to the treasury signalling its intention to move £63.5bn of housing association debt back off the
Unite: May's housing commitments fall short
Government admits extra £2bn will fund only 5K homes a year
Theresa May’s promise to build “a new generation of council houses” during her speech to the Tory conference on Wednes
Remove 'pests' outrage
Eviction firm compares tenants to rodents
An eviction company has been slammed by Unite after running an advert comparing domestic renters to vermin.
The Facebook advert for the Remov
Branch member Glyn Robbins on Grenfell in the Guardian
Grenfell must be a turning point in housing – for staff and residents
Unite has been active in responsing to the terrible events at Grenfell, responding the VIEW
Election issue: Rough sleeping rising
New rough sleepers in London soar by 15%
The number of new rough sleepers in London has risen by a shocking 15%; new figures from CHAIN (Combined Homelessness Informati
HAs' Serial Neglect of Residents and Properties
Housing associations have been guilty of 'serial neglect of residents and properties' according to the Guardian. It highlighted allegations against many of the biggest names in the sector, including Catalyst, Sanctuary, Notting Hill Housing, and One Housing Group. Almost all of these
Keyworkers Condemn One Housing 40% Rent Hike
Keyworkers including teachers and nurses, all residents of One Housing Group (OHG), have condemned the organisation's threat to raise rents by 40%.
Many are deeply concerned that they cannot meet such rent increases, particularly a
Rough sleeper immigration raids and homelessness charities
Homelessness agencies accused of being complicit in coercive deportations
Homelessness agencies including St Mungos are identified as complicit in immigration raids and a process that results in some of London’s
Leeds Housing Crisis Summit!
Leeds 'Hands Off Our Homes' has called a meeing to discuss the local housing crisis and to develop a campaign for affordable solutions:
Campaign Planning Day
10.30am – 3.30pm,
Sat 25th March
Oxford C
Next Workers and Residents Meeting Scheduled!
Monday 6th March 6.30pm
Faraday House, 48 Old Gloucester St London WC1N
HA Workers and Residents Meeting
Axe the Act and the Unite Housing Workers Branch have organised a meeting open to all housing association workers and residents to develop a network for greater campaigning strength. As with public services, to defeat the Housing and Planning Act and the austerity agenda, workers and service user
The Human Reality of Government Housing Policy
Failure to relate abstract policy to peoples' everyday lives
The growing mess around the Housing and Planning Act partly results from a failure to relate VIEW
Axe the housing act - new figures illustrate crisis
43% population in substandard housing
Homelessness is rising and by any measure Britain’s housing crisis is getting worse. Today a new report shows that 43% of VIEW
Butterfields tenants win
We will not move
Tenants on the Butterfields estate in Walthamstow, east London, have secured a victory against the housing crisis. They collectively said 'we will not move' and they will now b
Housing crisis roadshow
Only Corbyn has put forth a realistic solution to the present shambles
A commitment to build one million homes in five years — half of them to be council homes — and control rents in the private rented sect
Jeremy Corbyn raises housing in Miners Gala speech
#KeepCorbyn #Axethehousingact
Jeremy Corbyn speaking today in Durham “People tell me that Labour will be more appealing when it starts talking about these sorts of things and starts talking about something else.
Housing: the fight will go on - with Corbyn at our side
Housing fight will go on with Corbyn at our side
Britain faces dangerous times after the EU referendum campaign and Labour plotters trying to oust their leader, but amid it all there’s the
House building by housing associations down
Just 16.6% completions are for social rent
Building by the big housing associations fell from 40000 to 31000 last year. Just 16.6% of them social rent according to new figures today for the top fifty developing a
#Axethehousingact
The new housing act will help property developers and landlords make profits but it will do nothing for people who need affordable secure homes. Some housing associations are currently making deep cuts hitting jobs and services while piling up record surpluses; the act prepares the way for
Housing Associations: Friend or Foe?
Housing associations have moved far from their roots in Victorian philanthropy and ’60s radicalism, says GLYN ROBBINS
BRITISH housing policy is at a crossroads. Now the Housing Bill has limped through Parli
Housing Bill ping-pong
Hajera Blagg, Friday, May 6th, 2016 Unite Live
The government is struggling to push through its housing agenda as its Ho
The Housing Bill has got to be killed
We must restore decent, affordable council housing to the mainstream, return housing associations to their social purpose, control rents and demand secure homes for all, says GLYN ROBBINS
This week my union, Unite, described the
Health, Homes, Jobs Education! March and Rally
Save the date, book your seat for the march and rally
Saturday 16 April 2016 - London
March with the People’s Assembly on Saturday 16 April in London. Join us to demand #End
Butterfields Won't Budge!
"We Won't Budge" is the courageous slogan of a group of tenants who live in Walthamstow, east London and who aim to resist eviction from their homes, and the break up of their community.
The properties they live in were previously
New report: impact of rising rent & deposits
Jeremy Corbyn to join housing march Sunday 13th March
Thousands of people from across the country will march
Jeremy Corbyn
Islington campaign against housing bill launched
Over 100 people crammed into room 5 of Islington Town Hall and voted unanimously to form a borough-wide campaign to oppose the Housing and Planning Bill.
The meeting was organised by Islington Hands Off Our Public Services (IHOOPS
Housing bill in the news - come to the branch to discuss
‘Pay to stay’ trap will force working families out of council homes
Threat to council housing featured in local press
Branch member Glyn Robbins featured in this article from the Islington Tribune. Let us know of any press coverage you get in the battle against the houisng bill.
&nbs
March Against the Housing Bill!
Saturday 30th June
Assemble 12 noon, Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ (
Osborne eyes privatisation of stake in social housing
Osborne eyes privatisation of stake in social housing
...is the splash headline in today’s Financial Times. We have warned repeatedly of such a move. Unite housing workers will link with tenants and housin
Demanding Social Housing Not Social Cleansing!
We joined ASH (Architects for Social Housing) for a protest outside the Royal Institute of British Architects’ annual Stirlin
Architects Protest Over Social Housing Destruction
A group of architects are set to protest over the destruction of social housing and its replacement by "multi-million-pound luxury apartments and penthouses for nom-domiciled tax exiles and forei
Think tank raises threat of housing association privatisation
Policy Exchange raise threat of outright privatisation of Housing Associations
Privatising housing associations would be “the most obvious” government reaction to £60bn of debt being added to the nati
New reports show further social cleansing nightmare ahead
Perfect storm in housing: two new reports
A new report from Savills (see Inside Housing today) illustrates the mortal threat
Jeremy Corbyn launches housing policy
Jeremy Corbyn’s plan for council house building
Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn MP published his plans to address Britain's housing crisis yesterday and they look very similar to the policies that o
Genesis manager quits following abandonment of social housing
The move by Genesis Housing Association to pull out of social and affordable housing (reported here) has provoked discussion. Today Inside Housing magazine has produced this letter of resignation from
Genesis HA ceases social housing and OHG residents protest
This week one association withdrew from developing affordable or social housing and another was censured by residents and a local authority
Genesis Housing Association has announced it will stop building either &lsquo
Pressure the Politicians - A Manifesto for Housing!
We demand that MPs and councillors move to end the housing crisis by way of the measures set out by the Unite Housing worker's Manifesto.
Please sign our petition VIEW | DOWNLOAD
In-Work Benefits Under Threat
Universal Credit has been a shambles logistically with no one knowing when different stages and aspects of implementation will happen; even when dates are announced for roll-out it has been partly a reputational exercise for Ian Duncan Smith and less to do with reality. As part of the Unite Commu
Our manifesto for housing
We work in housing and homelessness organisations so we see the impact of the housing crisis in our working lives. We have to find places to live ourselves so we are also hit directly by the crisis ourselves. Click on the download button below to see the short ‘manifesto’
Unite joins week of action to save council housing
Save council housing from London's mayor
Unite, is backing a week of action across the capital designed to stop the further destruction of London's council housing stock.
With housing now the third most important issue for voters in London, yet housi
Block the Budget: End the Housing Crisis
Mayor Boris Johnson is the most powerful politician in London when it comes to decisions about housing, with control over a £1.8bn budget for delivering new homes and hundreds of hectares of public land. His budget goes to the vote on 23 February and if passed, will mean more sky-high
Time to Stop the Oligarch Cranes
By London & Eastern Regional Committee Chair, Jim Kelly
On Saturday 31 January, on a cold wet windy winter day, another protest march against the madness of London’s housing market took place, building on the protests against the International Housing Fai
Unite - fighting the housing crisis
Our union’s policies on housing look very different from any of the big parties. There is work to be done.
Unite decides policy through a democratic conference; branches like ours submit resolutions and elected delegates vote on them. The policies cover work
Stop Housing Association Privatisation
“Housing associations will be set free to roam as private companies. There is no doubt in my mind about this.... This is a juicy steak one millimetre away from a slavering dog’s mouth. I am of course putting aside the morality. But money is talking. And the politicia