A new report presented to Parliament argues
that Manchester’s market-led strategy has failed, and more investment in social housing at social rent is needed
The report by the Manchester Social Housing Commission says that Manchester’s booming urban development over the last 25 years is juxtaposed with some of the country’s highest levels of homelessness, rough sleeping, and households in temporary accommodation.
It calls for significant public investment in a new generation of sustainable homes for social rent.
The Manchester Social Housing Commission, brings together tenants, grassroots groups, campaigners, political leaders, council officials, academics and planning professionals, is making an ‘urgent’ call for change.
This investment they say, will provide a major return in the long run by reducing the welfare and temporary housing bill, improving health outcomes, boosting construction-related tax revenues and community wealth-building, and addressing the climate and cost of living crises for present and future generations.
Manchester has lost over 16,000 social rented homes since 1979, mainly from Right to Buy sales and the failure to replace them due to decades of under-investment. As a result, nearly 18,000 households are currently stuck on the city’s social housing register, most waiting years to be re-housed, some indefinitely.
The five point plan calls for a major upscaling of public investment in new social rented housing delivery requires a generous long-term funding and rent settlement for social landlords, and greater access for local authorities to cheaper borrowing to build and retrofit through the Public Works Loan Board.
Writing in the introduction to the report, the Bishop of Manchester says
“A city which by its very success in recent times has seen a move from having unlettable social rented homes within recent memory to one of the most severe shortages of affordable homes for rent outside London”
