be detrimental to both mental and physical health. The worst case scenario that can result from these housing situations is homelessness. Of course none of these should be viewed as a suitable solution for low income households.
To be deemed ‘social housing’ it has to have a few features. These are:
- Social housing has to be truly affordable
- Social housing should be allocated on the basis of need
- Social housing needs to be a long term solution, not subject to short term (6-12 months) tenancy agreements
- Social housing should be managed by councils or housing association
Homes being rented for ‘social’ purposes are at an all time low in recorded history, which is pushing people to financially strain and poor quality accommodation.
Why is more social housing needed in England?
What is causing the housing crisis in England? Fundamentally, it is caused by a lack of affordable housing and options for stable homes, which as we know is at an all time low. But there are multiple factors that are contributing to the lack of affordable housing, that increases the need for social housing. These reasons are:
- House prices are rising: House prices are on average 8 times the average salary, making it more difficult for people to afford home ownership than it has been previously.
- Private rentals are expensive: More people than ever are renting privately. Private rentals are expensive and unstable with the constant worry of eviction and relatively short-term tenancy agreements.
- Homelessness is on the rise: The result of the above is that many people are being forced out of their homes altogether. These people will then have to wait years for temporary accommodation and can end up sleeping on the street.
If these factors are not dealt with they will continue to decline and social housing will become more necessary. The only way to alleviate the housing pressure is to increase the supply of subsidised housing.
What are living standards and why are they important?
At its core, the housing crisis is a lack of affordable homes and an ability to provide a ‘roof over your head’. But social housing is more than that, it has to do with living standards and space. Space is what gives us the opportunity to relax, cook, sleep and socialise in comfort. It is central to humans idea of well-being and belonging. Space standards aren’t a new concept. But they’ve come and gone over the last 100 years.
In 1961 the Parker Morris Space Standards were introduced to close the gap between those on higher and lower incomes. The aim of these standards were to ensure that everyone had access to a clean, warm and spacious space to call home. A space that provided more than just a roof, but that provided a space to eat, relax, socialise and sleep in comfort. These have since been abolished, and those who manage to access social housing will be allocated bedrooms based on necessary requirements. Which is perfectly reasonable as long as the housing meets other basic standards.
Instead of focussing solely on how to reduce the space that people are living in in order to reduce costs, we need to focus on the cost of not having enough. Limited space can have an effect on mental and physical well-being. And so the cost has to be based on more than merely financial. The standards were originally introduced to protect the most vulnerable people in our society including those on low income or disabled people. We need to ensure that when social housing is built and refurbished it meets the minimum standard for space to ensure mental and physical well-being.
What are the current space standards for social housing?
Planning policies are there to ensure that all developments:
- function well and add to the overall quality of the area, not just for the short term but over the lifetime of the development;
- are visually attractive as a result of good architecture, layout and appropriate and effective landscaping;
- are sympathetic to local character and history, including the surrounding built environment and landscape setting, while not preventing or discouraging appro