Housing and Homelessness in
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
Tower blocks in the borough offer high density social and affordable housing.
Without a clear policy on social housing and a growing homelessness problem, RBWM Council is failing in its duty to house the most vulnerable in society.
RBWM Council claims to be 'Building a Borough for Everyone', yet proposals for new housing developments are unlikely to provide homes for the most in need within the borough. The plan for the new developments and the Local Plan seem to be very light on information about social housing and affordable homes.
In some of the proposed plans for development such as the York Road development there has been promises of social rent houses and affordable homes. In York Road there will be 8 houses for social rent out of 261 proposed homes. This does not go anywhere near far enough to deliver enough social rent homes for the demand for this type of home.
RBWM Council claims to be 'Building a Borough for Everyone', yet proposals for new housing developments are unlikely to provide homes for the most in need within the borough. The plan for the new developments and the Local Plan seem to be very light on information about social housing and affordable homes.
In some of the proposed plans for development such as the York Road development there has been promises of social rent houses and affordable homes. In York Road there will be 8 houses for social rent out of 261 proposed homes. This does not go anywhere near far enough to deliver enough social rent homes for the demand for this type of home.
|
Petition to: guarantee that at least 30% of future housing developments on Council owned land are affordable
http://petitions.rbwm.gov.uk/Housing/
We are mindful of recent decisions to agree planning permission without the 30% affordable housing being included, where developers have used the "viability" clause and we believe that any developer of Council owned land needs to be made aware at the outset that the commitment to 30% affordable housing is not negotiable. We further believe that the 30% affordable housing criteria for the proposed Golf Club redevelopment must include enough social housing for all the current RBWM housing waiting list. Jo Smith |
Housing in RBWM
Some of the later social and affordable housing in the borough. Since these flats were built very few have been built.
According to Rightmove.co.uk the average cost of a semi detached or terraced house is £481,042. This is more than 12 times the local average salary. This means it will be very difficult for most young people in the borough to remain living in the borough to raise a family and own their own home.
The need for housing in the borough is far greater than the supply. According to rbwm.gov.uk, in 2016 769 families were in need of housing. The council supplied 335 homes leaving 434 households without their needs met. This shows a glaring hole in the provision of housing within the borough.
In February 2017, a freedom of Information request (FOI69971) asked RBWM how many families were on the waiting list and for how long. The response was that there were 341 families on the waiting list and the council had no idea how long. In one year since 2016 less than 100 families had been housed.
Homeless and Rough Sleeping in RBWMHomeless figures for any area in the UK are difficult to assess due to the nature of homeless people moving about frequently or being moved from one area to another. However, RBWM Council has consistently estimated the number of people that are actually living on the streets in the borough as low as less than 10 (except for 2015) when it is clear from walking through any high street in the borough that the true figure is much higher. In 2015 The Homeless Link Rough Sleeping Count reported that Windsor and Maidenhead had seen a +29 person increase in its numbers so where RBWM get a figure of less than 10 over several years is a useless estimate.
According to Homeless Link rough sleeping has increased in the borough by 134% since 2010. There was a significant spike in RBWM reported rough sleeping in 2015 of 35 people. Why did this spike occur? Did someone in the council accidentally report an accurate figure? In January 2018 The Leader of the Council Simon Dudley tweeted that he would be writing to the police to get them to remove rough sleepers using powers under the vagrancy act. Simon Dudley said that the rough sleepers were aggressively targeting visitors to Windsor and were not taking up offers of accommodation and therefore intentionally homeless. This shows the lack of compassion and led to two votes of no confidence which Mr. Dudley narrowly survived. Meanwhile a homeless man from Windsor who was sent to a hostel in Southall, unfortunately died. This is just one reason why so many rough sleepers do not take up offers of accommodation; its clearly safer on the street! The Apparent Cycle of Homelessness in RBWM |
It is clear that the Council is not taking its homelessness problem seriously.
|
The graphic below shows what we have ascertained from talking to various sources about the cycle of homelessness specific to RBWM. It is clear that RBWM and the Housing Associations are not talking Homelessness Applications where they should. Homelessness applications should be taken at SWEP and when a person presents as homeless.
Mental health and social care is a huge issue for homeless people. Access to care is made almost impossible for many if they are placed in accommodation outside the borough in a place they don't know and do not have transport back.
Many problems suffered by vulnerable people are exacerbated once they become homeless. Debt, bereavement, ill health (mental and physical), addiction and unemployment are just some of the reasons why people become homeless. Once homeless, mental health becomes the driver to keep the homeless on the streets. The Council must be aware of the impact of deteriorating mental health on the homeless and should not use this as an excuse to falsely reduce their figures. No one deserves to be homeless.
Mental health and social care is a huge issue for homeless people. Access to care is made almost impossible for many if they are placed in accommodation outside the borough in a place they don't know and do not have transport back.
Many problems suffered by vulnerable people are exacerbated once they become homeless. Debt, bereavement, ill health (mental and physical), addiction and unemployment are just some of the reasons why people become homeless. Once homeless, mental health becomes the driver to keep the homeless on the streets. The Council must be aware of the impact of deteriorating mental health on the homeless and should not use this as an excuse to falsely reduce their figures. No one deserves to be homeless.
This all goes to show that the current RBWM Council is simply not up to the job. They cant allocate properties to families quick enough as there is not enough social rent housing stock, their leaders attitude to housing and homelessness is severely lacking in compassion and pre-victorian. The 'ambitious' plans for new housing developments fall short of providing homes for all families in need. In short, we need change not more of the same.
What can you do?
There are many homeless charities in the borough that need donations or volunteers. Supporting a local homeless charity helps people on the streets but they can not stop homelessness altogether. Join your local Constituency Labour Party, we are determined to challenge the RBWM Council on their failings and to insist they provide the support to the vulnerable people of our borough. Challenge your own perception of homeless people, do something to help someone on the street by giving them food, clothing or a blanket and a few minutes of your time.