There’s more to journalism than the Fairfax newspapers, women’s glossies, unpaid web content and The New Yorker… although you might not know it from the way I write here. Fortunately, freelance journalist Mitchell Jordan is here to fill you in on a whole world of (paid!) publishing…
Housing Justice welcomes government move to redefine overcrowding
Housing Justice today welcomed Yvette Cooper’s announcement that the government is to reform the definition of overcrowding.
The present statutory definition of overcrowding was first adopted in the 1930s and has not been updated since then. It considers that all rooms in a house, including kitchens and living rooms, can be used as bedrooms, ignores the needs of children and fails to provide teenagers with sufficient space. It was originally intended that the definition would be updated over time but this has not been done.
Even with the current limited definition of overcrowding, government figures show that more than 20,000 families currently live in overcrowded accommodation, with concentrations in London in both social and private rented accommodation. The real problem of overcrowding however is far greater; if other definitions of overcrowding such as the bedroom standard are used, as many as 500,000 families are suffering the misery of living in overcrowded accommodation.
Housing Justice Chief Executive Robina Rafferty commented “Our network of housing advice centres report to us many cases of families suffering the misery of overcrowded housing. Often however they are unable to be re-housed because their local authority has no obligation to act under the law.”
“We welcome the redefinition as the first step towards tackling this problem. The effects of overcrowding on families are felt most of all by children and young people. Overcrowding means that they have no space to themselves and can affect their educational achievement, health and well-being, the effects of which are felt all their lives. These problems are experienced by the whole of society in increased medical costs and young people failing to reach their full potential.”
She added “In the twenty first century in one of the richest countries in the world it is scandalous that families have to live in overcrowded conditions. The new definition must take into account the need for children and teenagers to have their own separate spaces, and the need for families to have communal living rooms.”
Finally Rafferty praised the government for tackling this issue. She noted: “it is very courageous of the government to propose redefining the overcrowding definition as it will result in increased numbers of families being eligible for re-housing. As Yvette Cooper acknowledged, the only long-term answer to overcrowding is building more houses of a suitable size for families. We hope that they will be able to give a commitment to build these homes to tackle the problem.”
Notes
Yvette Cooper today launched a consultation document that proposes to redefine overcrowding. Further information on the announcement is available at www.communities.gov.uk. Information on current levels of overcrowding is also available on the website.
Edmonton Labour MP Andrew Love proposed a redefinition of overcrowding in a Private Members Bill in January 2003. Andrew Love is Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Homelessness of which Housing Justice’s Chief Executive Robina Rafferty is Clerk. Housing Justice has been campaigning on this issue through the APPG and independently since its formation.
Two cases dealt with by Housing Justice CHAS housing advice centres
1) Mr. and Mrs K, clients of Housing Justice’s Central London CHAS housing advice centre, live in a two bedroom flat occupied by two adults and five children, two of them studying for GCSEs. There is great concern that the two eldest children do not have any study space, and despite being very bright children they are projected to do less well than their peers. The children’s schools have made representations to the local authority concerning the problem. “In our opinion the family are statutorily overcrowded, but the local authority have not yet made a decision on the case.”
2) Mr. U and Ms B are also clients of the Central London CHAS advice centre. Seven adults and two children are living in a three bedroom flat. There is extensive condensation dampness caused by overcrowding. All the family have ongoing asthma and bronchial problems. The size of the family suggests that they are statutorily overcrowded under Part X of the Housing Act l985, s. 326/7. The local authority accept this, but say that the family need a five to six bedroom property which is not available in this area.
About Housing Justice
Housing Justice is the national voice of Christian action to prevent homelessness and bad housing.
Housing Justice was formed in April 2003 by the merger of two long-standing housing charities, the Catholic Housing Aid Society (CHAS) and the Churches National Housing Coalition (CNHC). In January 2006 Housing Justice merged with UNLEASH (Church Action on Homelessness in London). Housing Justice brings together more than 60 years experience of working for change in the field of housing.
Housing Justice provides frontline services to people in housing need and campaigns to improve housing policy. In total Housing Justice is actively involved in more than 35 communities across England and Wales.
The Housing Justice CHAS network of 12 housing advice centres provide practical support to people with housing and related problems.
Housing Justice UNLEASH works to support church-based housing and homelessness projects in London.
Housing Justice Regenerate, funded by the government’s Civil Renewal Unit, supports resident-led regeneration in 15 guide neighbourhoods across the UK. Regenerate brings together residents who have transformed their estates with those who want to embark on the regeneration process to share learning and offer support.
Housing Justice works with, and for, homeless and badly housed people of all denominations, and with those who have no religious beliefs. All our services are offered to the whole community and, wherever possible, we work in partnership with others who share our values, regardless of religious beliefs.
Christian housing and homelessness charity Housing Justice today announced that Alison Gelder has been appointed Chief Executive.
Alison will take over from Robina Rafferty at the start of August. Robina Rafferty is retiring after 30 years working for Housing Justice and its predecessor CHAS.
Alison Gelder joined Housing Justice as the charity’s first Director of External Affairs in 2003.
After a Law degree and a Masters in Information Science Alison spent several years in senior management at British Telecom before going back to university to study theology and carry out post-graduate research into business ethics.
In 2001 Alison ran the largest survey of church-going in the UK and then worked a s a social re searcher specialising in church-based social action bringing her in to a close working relationship with the full spectrum of Christian churches. Alison was a founder member of Tooting and Balham Law Centre, and its second Chair where she learnt the value of good advice for people in housing need. Volunteering as an overnight worker at a rough sleepers’ night shelter awoke in her a vocation to be alongside and help street homeless people: a vocation which is at the heart of her Christian faith.
Alison Gelder
Commenting on her appointment Alison Gelder said “I am delighted to have been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Housing Justice, I hope to build on the work of our first Chief Executive Robina Rafferty and develop the organisation in the years to come. In this the 50 th anniversary of our forerunner CHAS, and the 40 th anniversary of Cathy Come Home the problems of homelessness and bad housing are all too common. I hope to raise the profile of this issue among policy makers, churches and the general public and help develop innovative solutions.”
Replacing Alison Gelder, Judith Maizel-Long has been appointed as Director of External Affairs. She joins Housing Justice from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, the Christian ecumenical umbrella body, where she dealt with issues of church life. Judith is also a Methodist Minister in Kent.
Completing the senior management team at Housing Justice Angela Murray has been appointed as Director of Finance and Central Services. She replaces Kebbe Kouroma who has been appointed to the post of Deputy Accountant General in the Sierra Leone government. Angela has over 10 years experience of financial management in commercial and not for profit organisations most recently working for Altran Group and YMCA.
Chair of Housing Justice Bishop of Dudley the Right Reverend David Walker commented “We are delighted to appoint Alison as the new Chief Executive of Housing Justice. It will be a hard job stepping into Robina’s shoes but I am confident that Alison will be able to lead the organisation through the next stage of its development with vision, drive and enthusiasm. We are also delighted to appoint Judith and Angela who bring a wealth of experience to the work of Housing Justice. With the new senior management team in place the organisation is now well placed to build on the achievements of its first three years of existence and take our work forward.”
Ends
A high resolution photograph of Alison Gelder is available at
About Housing Justice
Housing Justice is the national voice of Christian action to prevent homelessness and bad housing.
Housing Justice was formed in April 2003 by the merger of two long-standing housing charities, the Catholic Housing Aid Society (CHAS) and the Churches National Housing Coalition (CNHC). In January 2006 Housing Justice merged with UNLEASH (Church Action on Homelessness in London). Housing Justice brings together more than 60 years experience of working for change in the field of housing.
Housing Justice provides frontline services to people in housing need and campaigns to improve housing policy. In total Housing Justice is actively involved in more than 35 communities across England and Wales.
The Housing Justice CHAS network of 12 housing advice centres provide practical support to people with housing and related problems.
Housing Justice UNLEASH works to support church-based housing and homelessness projects in London.
Housing Justice Regenerate, funded by the government’s Civil Renewal Unit, supports resident-led regeneration in 15 guide neighbourhoods across the UK. Regenerate brings together residents who have transformed their estates with those who want to embark on the regeneration process to share learning and offer support.
Housing Justice works with Scottish Churches Housing Action to organise the annual Homelessness Sunday, a day when churches are encouraged to reflect on the problems of homelessness and bad housing. Homelessness Sunday will be held on Sunday 28 January 2007.
Housing Justice works with, and for, homeless and badly housed people of all denominations, and with those who have no religious beliefs. All our services are offered to the whole community and, wherever possible, we work in partnership with others who share our values, regardless of religious beliefs.
Housing Justice today responded to Westminster City Council’s attacks on Soup Runs by stressing their positive role in reaching out to homeless and vulnerable people.
Westminster alleges that Soup Runs “keep homeless people on the streets” and has suggested that Soup Run volunteers should redirect their actions to help in other ways.
Alison Gelder, Chief Executive of Housing Justice, commented “Soup Runs can have a positive impact on the lives of many people, particularly the homeless and vulnerable. Soup Run volunteers provide not just food but a much needed and regular point of contact to people whose lives are often chaotic. Ideally Soup Runs should be a complementary arm of the services available to homeless and vulnerable people.”
Gelder stressed that for groups such as Polish people and other Eastern Europeans who have fallen on hard times Soup Runs are the only source of food available as they are unable to claim benefits and access other homeless services.
She stated “For this reason it is no exaggeration to say that Soup Runs save lives. Most Soup Runs are organised by church and other faith groups as a practical expression of their Christian faith. They operate on every night of the year whatever the weather and cost tax payers nothing. The best should be celebrated as an example of hospitality and a way in from the cold for people who are in the greatest need. In the mean time we would encourage all Soup Run organisers to join the Soup Run Forum and help develop best practice.”
Ends
Notes
Housing Justice’s London Soup Run Forum helps to coordinate the work of and provide a voice for Soup Runs in London.
The Forum has already drawn up best practice guidelines, and keeps a timetable to reduce overlap between the different Soup Runs. The next Forum meeting will take place on 1 November 2006. Contact Alastair Murray at Housing Justice for further details.
Soup Runs operate every night of the year by taking food to homeless and vulnerable people in central London around the West End and Victoria areas. In contrast soup kitchens operate from one indoor location.
Alastair Murray of Housing Justice who is responsible for the Soup Run Forum is available for interview.
About Housing Justice
Housing Justice is the national voice of Christian action to prevent homelessness and bad housing.
Housing Justice was formed in April 2003 by the merger of two long-standing housing charities, the Catholic Housing Aid Society (CHAS) and the Churches National Housing Coalition (CNHC). In January 2006 Housing Justice merged with UNLEASH (Church Action on Homelessness in London). Housing Justice brings together more than 60 years experience of working for change in the field of housing.
Housing Justice provides frontline services to people in housing need and campaigns to improve housing policy. In total Housing Justice is actively involved in more than 35 communities across England and Wales.
The Housing Justice CHAS network of 12 housing advice centres provide practical support to people with housing and related problems.
Housing Justice UNLEASH works to support church-based housing and homelessness projects in London.
Housing Justice Regenerate, funded by the government’s Civil Renewal Unit, supports resident-led regeneration in 15 guide neighbourhoods across the UK. Regenerate brings together residents who have transformed their estates with those who want to embark on the regeneration process to share learning and offer support.
Housing Justice works with Scottish Churches Housing Action to organise the annual Homelessness Sunday, a day when churches are encouraged to reflect on the problems of homelessness and bad housing. Homelessness Sunday will be held on Sunday 28 January 2007.
Housing Justice works with, and for, homeless and badly housed people of all denominations, and with those who have no religious beliefs. All our services are offered to the whole community and, wherever possible, we work in partnership with others who share our values, regardless of religious beliefs.
Housing Justice calls on government to tackle Polish street homelessness
Christian homelessness charity Housing Justice today called on the British and Polish governments to work together to solve the problem of homeless Polish and Eastern European migrants in Britain.
The call came as Housing Justice and the Simon Community this week welcomed the visit of the Polish-British Mission for Employment to the UK led by Polish charity the Barka Foundation. The Mission, which includes representatives of the Polish government, is visiting London to find out first hand about the problem of homelessness among Polish and Eastern European migrants.
The Mission will hold a press conference on Monday 11 September to outline their findings. Meetings are also taking place with the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales and several agencies working to provide support to homeless people in London.
Alastair Murray of Housing Justice commented “We and the Simon Community have arranged a full programme of visits for the Mission to show the reality of life for Polish and other Eastern Europeans who have become homeless in this country. Sadly the problem of homelessness is increasing among this group and services are struggling to cope.”
“This situation needs to be tackled by the Polish and British governments and the European Union working together as a matter of urgency. We have compiled a three point strategy to resolve the problem. Information, advice and support are the keys to preventing and dealing with homelessness among Polish people and other Eastern Europeans.”
Housing Justice believes that the problem of homelessness should be tackled in three ways:
1. A comprehensive advertising campaign in Poland to warn Polish citizens not to come to the UK without the means to support themselves until they start work. Polish citizens should also be warned to treat with caution third parties who demand fees and the handing over of papers for help in finding or registering for employment and accommodation as in many cases these fail to materialise.
2. The establishment of a Welcome Centre near to Victoria Coach Station to provide advice and help to people on arrival in their own languages. The Centre should also offer assistance with registering on the Workers’ Registration Scheme and in obtaining a National Insurance Number.
3. The establishment of a shelter to work with homeless Polish and other EU citizens to help them off the streets. The shelter should begin to address issues such as drug and alcohol dependency that may be factors in individuals’ homelessness. Longer term, help will be required with reintegration into Polish society -perhaps into Barka communities- if people wish to return to Poland.
We call on our respective governments and the EU to respond to these needs as a matter of urgency.
Ends
A Press Conference will be held at Westminster City Hall, London SW1 at 11.00am on Monday 11 September. Further information on the Press Conference is available from Housing Justice.
About Housing Justice
Housing Justice is the national voice of Christian action to prevent homelessness and bad housing.
Housing Justice was formed in April 2003 by the merger of two long-standing housing charities, the Catholic Housing Aid Society (CHAS) and the Churches National Housing Coalition (CNHC). In January 2006 Housing Justice merged with UNLEASH (Church Action on Homelessness in London). Housing Justice brings together more than 60 years experience of working for change in the field of housing.
Housing Justice provides frontline services to people in housing need and campaigns to improve housing policy. In total Housing Justice is actively involved in more than 35 communities across England and Wales.
The Housing Justice CHAS network of 12 housing advice centres provide practical support to people with housing and related problems.
Housing Justice UNLEASH works to support church-based housing and homelessness projects in London.
Housing Justice Regenerate, funded by the government’s Civil Renewal Unit, supports resident-led regeneration in 15 guide neighbourhoods across the UK. Regenerate brings together residents who have transformed their estates with those who want to embark on the regeneration process to share learning and offer support.
Housing Justice works with Scottish Churches Housing Action to organise the annual Homelessness Sunday, a day when churches are encouraged to reflect on the problems of homelessness and bad housing. Homelessness Sunday will be held on Sunday 28 January 2007.
Housing Justice works with, and for, homeless and badly housed people of all denominations, and with those who have no religious beliefs. All our services are offered to the whole community and, wherever possible, we work in partnership with others who share our values, regardless of religious beliefs.
Homelessness charity Housing Justice has decided to rename Rachel’s Digest, its weekly bulletin. From October 2006 the publication will be known as Housing Justice Digest.
For the past 10 years Rachel’s Digest has kept subscribers up to date with a weekly summary of housing, homelessness, regeneration and social policy news and developments reported in newspapers and the specialist housing, regeneration, social care and charity press.
Housing Justice’s Chief Executive Alison Gelder commented “Rachel’s Digest was established in 1996 by CHAS’ then Policy and Information Officer Rachel Lampard to summarise stories from the previous week’s general and specialist press. The title was a play on Reader’s Digest and reflected its aim of providing a concise summary of developments in the housing and related worlds.”
“Since 1996 the publication has developed into a respected summary of all housing, homelessness, regeneration and related stories. It’s strength is the breadth of its coverage combing private and public sector stories. A typical Digest might carry items on the latest housing policy initiatives, homelessness, house price inflation, consumer debt as well as items on more light hearted topics such as one recently on footballers’ taste in mansions. If it’s reported in the press we will cover it in Housing Justice Digest.”
“We thought long and hard before deciding to rename the Digest but feel that it is the right thing to do as it celebrates its 10th birthday. Although Rachel left CHAS in 2000 we still get people asking which one of us is Rachel and they are always surprised to find out that the Digest is compiled by Luke Evans, our current Policy and Information Officer!”
The renaming of the Digest is part of a wider rebranding within Housing Justice which has seen Regenerate, the housing advice centres and UNLEASH rebranded to incorporate Housing Justice into their titles.
Ends
Notes
The first edition of Housing Justice Digest is available at - amongst other stories it has items on the latest HomeBuy shared equity scheme, rises in Scottish homelessness, discussions on housing at the Labour Party Conference, the latest house price rises, warnings over the length of mortgages and levels of debt and details of the best place to live.
Housing Justice Digest has subscribers from a wide range of housing and homelessness organisations, housing associations, research bodies, social welfare organisations and local authorities across the country.
Housing Justice Digest is compiled weekly by Housing Justice’s Policy and Information Officer Luke Evans and is available by email for an annual subscription of £40. Subscriptions are also available for multiple users and for intranet distribution. Housing Justice Digest is available free to Housing Justice members.
For information on subscribing or membership of Housing Justice contact Ellen Byrne, tel 020 7723 7273, email digest@housingjustice.org.uk.
Rachel Lampard left Housing Justice’s predecessor CHAS in 2000, she is now Secretary for Parliamentary and Political Affairs at the Methodist Church
About Housing Justice
Housing Justice is the national voice of Christian action to prevent homelessness and bad housing.
Housing Justice was formed in April 2003 by the merger of two long-standing housing charities, the Catholic Housing Aid Society (CHAS) and the Churches National Housing Coalition (CNHC). In January 2006 Housing Justice merged with UNLEASH (Church Action on Homelessness in London). Housing Justice brings together more than 60 years experience of working for change in the field of housing.
Housing Justice provides frontline services to people in housing need and campaigns to improve housing policy. In total Housing Justice is actively involved in more than 35 communities across England and Wales.
The Housing Justice CHAS network of 12 housing advice centres provide practical support to people with housing and related problems.
Housing Justice UNLEASH works to support church-based housing and homelessness projects in London.
Housing Justice Regenerate, funded by the government’s Civil Renewal Unit, supports resident-led regeneration in 15 guide neighbourhoods across the UK. Regenerate brings together residents who have transformed their estates with those who want to embark on the regeneration process to share learning and offer support.
Housing Justice works with Scottish Churches Housing Action to organise the annual Homelessness Sunday, a day when churches are encouraged to reflect on the problems of homelessness and bad housing. Homelessness Sunday will be held on Sunday 28 January 2007.
Housing Justice works with, and for, homeless and badly housed people of all denominations, and with those who have no religious beliefs. All our services are offered to the whole community and, wherever possible, we work in partnership with others who share our values, regardless of religious beliefs.
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