Housing problem? Ask Shelter, says Jim (and Andrew)

Shelter has been doing amazing work for years now – helping individuals with housing problems, and also campaigning for progressive housing policies.

It’s an increasingly difficult job. We all know there’s a housing crisis, but government policies are making it hard for the homeless and the inadequately housed to find suitable accommodation they can afford to live in. The previous Coalition Government did little to tackle the housing crisis. The Labour Governments before them built less social housing that the Tory Governments who came before them – and those Tory Governments started the crisis off with “right to buy”.

On Tuesday, 5th January Shelter’s Director of Services Alison Mohammed held an event, where she discussed housing with MPs. Among the MPs she met were Jim Fitzpatrick, Labour MP for Poplar & Limehouse, and Andrew Gwynne, Labour MP for Denton and Reddish. We know that they were at the same event, as it prompted both of them to describe their support for Shelter’s work in almost identical words – and then to make almost identical comments about it. Who says that the Parliamentary Labour Party is divided? Here’s what they had to say.

Jim Fitzpatrick MP
Jim Fitzpatrick MP showed his support for people fighting bad housing and homelessness in Poplar & Limehouse this week, when he attended the launch of Shelter’s new campaign to raise awareness of its vital advice and support services.

Andrew Gwynne MP
Andrew Gwynne MP showed his support for people fighting bad housing and homelessness in Tameside and Stockport this week, when he attended the launch of Shelter’s new campaign to raise awareness of its vital advice and support services.

Jim Fitzpatrick MP
Jim attended the event on Tuesday 5th January where he met with Shelter’s Director of Services Alison Mohammed to discuss the frontline services Shelter delivers in the local area, and across the UK. These include the 981 cases that Shelter dealt with in the Tower Hamlets area last year alone.

Andrew Gwynne MP
Andrew attended the event on Tuesday 5th January where he met with Shelter’s Director of Services Alison Mohammed to discuss the frontline services Shelter delivers in the local area, and across the UK. These include the 206 cases that Shelter dealt with in the Stockport area last year alone.

Jim Fitzpatrick MP
Prompted by a new Shelter and YouGov survey, the event highlighted the strain families face in the London in January, with one in ten rent or mortgage payers fearing they will be unable to meet their housing costs this month. At the same time 21% of people in the region are cutting back on winter fuel and clothing to meet their housing payments – the equivalent of 1.4 million people.

Andrew Gwynne MP
Prompted by a new Shelter and YouGov survey, the event highlighted the strain families face in the North West in January, with one in eight rent or mortgage payers fearing they will be unable to meet their housing costs this month. At the same time 17% of people in the region are cutting back on winter fuel and clothing to meet their housing payments – the equivalent of 960,000 people.

Jim Fitzpatrick MP
Jim and Shelter are urging anyone who is struggling with their housing costs to seek advice, before problems spiral out of control. Shelter, the leading housing and homelessness charity, helps over 4 million people a year with free, practical housing advice, through its online support, face to face and national helpline services.

Andrew Gwynne MP
Andrew and Shelter are urging anyone who is struggling with their housing costs to seek advice, before problems spiral out of control. Shelter, the leading housing and homelessness charity, helps over 4 million people a year with free, practical housing advice, through its online support, face to face and national helpline services.

Jim Fitzpatrick MP said:
“Shelter’s frontline services provide invaluable assistance to many of Poplar & Limehouse’s residents, particularly at what can be an extremely tough time of year. They can often be the difference between a family staying in their home or becoming homeless.
“I know from my regular surgeries that it is absolutely critical people who are struggling to stay in their homes seek help at the earliest opportunity. I would urge anyone who is having difficulty making their rent or mortgage payments to contact Shelter, or myself, as soon as they can.
“With so many parents in the U.K cutting back on winter essentials to pay their rent or mortgage, it is important that people in Poplar & Limehouse are aware of the support that is available to them.”

Andrew Gwynne MP said:
“Shelter’s frontline services provide invaluable assistance to many of Denton and Reddish’ residents, particularly at what can be an extremely tough time of year. They can often be the difference between a family staying in their home or becoming homeless.
“I know from my regular surgeries that it is absolutely critical people who are struggling to stay in their homes seek help at the earliest opportunity. I would urge anyone who is having difficulty making their rent or mortgage payments to contact Shelter, or myself, as soon as they can.
“With so many parents in the UK cutting back on winter essentials to pay their rent or mortgage, it is important that people in Denton & Reddish are aware of the support that is available to them.”

Neither Labour MP commented on the record of the last Labour Government – which laid the basis for so many people having housing problems today. Figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) show that:
•between 1979 and 1996 (Tory Governments) the total building for houses by local authorities and by registered social landlords was 913,690 (an average of 50,761 new homes in the social housing sector per year);
•between 1997 and 2008 (the first 11 years of Labour Governments – after which the DCLG stopped keeping the figures) similar building totalled just 290,750 (an average of 24,299 new homes in the social housing sector per year).

The Tory Governments were the villains of the piece in that they introduced Right To Buy – which removed some two million homes from the social rented sector. However, Labour knew this was happening and did nothing to replace those homes – so if they are not equal villains, they are at the very least Silly Billies, or perhaps even Negligent Nigels.

At the Shelter event, Director of Services Alison Mohammed said (according to both MPs): “Every day at Shelter we hear from families who face the bleak choice between missing their rent or cutting back on heating. Or from parents whose children have stopped asking for treats because they know they’re struggling just to keep a roof over their heads.
“No one should have to face these problems alone, which is why Shelter is here 365 days a year. Getting advice early can make all the difference, and we’re only ever a click or a call away at shelter.org.uk/advice or on 0808 800 4444.”

And that is the real story. How have successive governments let this happen?

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