A Sussex housing support organisation is calling for the new government to take urgent steps to tackle the housing crisis, joining the National Housing Federation’s #PlanForHousing campaign. 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. As a social landlord, they provided 481 households and individuals across Sussex with community housing last year, alongside their work providing supported accommodation and specialist services for vulnerable people.

The National Housing Federation argue 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 socioeconomic benefits to building more social homes, including job creation, better educational outcomes and savings to the NHS.

David Chaffey, Chief Executive at BHT Sussex, 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 pounds 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.

Photo: BHT Sussex