Head in the clouds
Bob Green is the Chief Executive of Stonewall Housing I have had a dream ever since I started at Stonewall Housing 10 years ago: to start housing for older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people within the United Kingdom. LGBT communities face particular challenges that impact on their housing needs as they…
Read MoreRefugee Crisis; Will the compassion stop at Calais?
The last week has seen a remarkable turnaround in the public debate around asylum in the United Kingdom. Widely circulated pictures of the body of a three-year old Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi compelled more than 200,000 people to sign a petition calling on the government to take its fair share of refugees. Others…
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The compromise of private renting – one renter's perspective
There has been much talk recently about ‘Generation Rent,’ those of us deemed to be stuck in the private rental market. A new report by PWC* tells us that 25% of all households will be privately rented by 2025. And that the majority of renters will be aged between 20 to 39. I see no…
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Divide and rule?
‘Housing solutions to social injustice’ is the strap line of Commonweal Housing – seeing housing as part of the solution to help people address other issues in their lives. Ahead of the budget and forthcoming Housing Bill we are hearing all sorts of leaked plans that will directly and indirectly impact on the UK housing…
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To vote or not to vote, that, is the question…
Which party will I vote for in this year’s general election? I have been asked this question numerous times in the last few months. As a woman I’m also often reminded by other women that people died for our right to vote. So I’m sure you can imagine people’s reaction in the past when I’ve…
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Housing Benefit – who really benefits?
This week has seen yet another TV exposé on rogue landlords, this time by BBC Panorama “The Great Housing Benefit Scandal” aired on 20 April. Whilst, as in all good exposé investigative journalism, extremes have been shown, there can be no question however that the landlords shown in this film are providing very poor quality…
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