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A 3 min interview can be a struggle to get across nuanced points about the complexity of things like #housing #inequality and #conditions. So perhaps this short thread might help get behind some of the points that need to be made. Thanks to @NHC and @NationwideFdtn THREAD 
https://twitter.com/BrianR0bson/status/1329770540035436546
https://twitter.com/BrianR0bson/status/1329770540035436546
The North is pretty big it has different housing markets with homes in various conditions. It’s fair to say that there’s been decades of neglect and under investment in certain areas. Even before the pandemic hit there were wider economic and social forces at play.
24% of all homes in the North were built before 1919 and 41% built before 1944 which is significantly above the England average. Research tells us, very crudely, that the older the home is the more likely it is that they will be classed as non-decent. https://www.northern-consortium.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/No-Home-Left-Behind-APPG-Housing-in-the-North-1.pdf
These are homes that are here to stay, they play a fundamental role in the accommodation of millions of people. Whilst we often think of the housing crisis as being about supply the quality of the existing housing stock needs to be seen as a key part of the housing challenge.
4.5 million households now rent their home from a private landlord. In the North the PRS houses around a fifth of the population. There are over 1.5 million landlords in England. Most of these are individual landlords, not companies http://www.smith-institute.org.uk/book/consumer-rights-in-the-private-rented-sector/
Landlords tend to enter the industry for investment purposes including supplementing a salary or as a contribution to their pension. The pandemic has exposed this as an unsustainable business model. Landlords are struggling to ensure their properties are in a good state of repair
Whereas some landlords were clearly taking advantage of tenants this model as a whole appears to lack financial resilience which perhaps suggests that not all landlords should be operating in the sector – regardless how well intentioned some of them are.
Our research was undertaken between May and July this year. During which time we had a heat wave. Despite this people were struggling to pay their energy bills – often due to cold, drafty or inefficient housing that needed repairs or modernising https://www.northern-consortium.org.uk/influencing/lockdown/
Now it’s started to get colder and wetter – which is the time most people we spoke to were in most fear of - and jobs have become more precarious. We have seen the number of people claiming Universal Credit increase – particularly from those in the PRS http://hub.salford.ac.uk/welfare-at-a-social-distance/wp-content/uploads/sites/120/2020/09/WaSD-Rapid-Report-2-New-COVID-19-claimants.pdf
People were struggling to pay bills pre-pandemic, homes haven’t been improved so they are expensive to maintain, people are more insecure at work, they are more likely to be more unwell and live in greater fear of eviction or rent increase and so it goes on see @NEA_UKCharity
We need to ensure people have enough money to get by, they are not unreasonably and insensitively pursued for debt and people know they have a safe place to call home. These are immediate issues as poor quality homes make life unaffordable for many https://www.flipsnack.com/NorthernHousingConsortium/lockdown-rundown-breakdown-summary-report/full-view.html
The work of the @AHC_Housing needs to be recognised and the role of #socialhousing providers to save landlords, people and communities from spiraling poor conditions, increasing debt and likely #homelessness needs urgent action https://www.affordablehousingcommission.org/news/2020/9/23/report-a-national-housing-conversion-fund-buying-properties-to-boost-affordable-housing-supply
The Green Homes Grant can make a huge difference to the fabric of homes, the renters reform bill would make a huge difference to people's sense of control, we urgently need housing to be central to #health and #netzero. A healthy resilient PRS is pivotal a fair housing system.
For chances to discuss this i'll be here at this superb event with @YEPForum next week https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hard-to-reach-vulnerability-fuel-poverty-and-covid-19-tickets-128864331685
I'll be here at the @HSA_UK conference in a completely open access event https://www.housing-studies-association.org/pages/133-plenary-4-wed-25th-nov-2pm-3-30pm
Finally, i'll be joined by @YoungBridget and @BrianR0bson to have an online conversation about how we got to where we are, what the findings were and how we might out of it https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/locked-down-and-locked-out-tickets-129489481525
