Letter: It’s time parties adopted a shared vision for housing

Your article “Housing groups warn they ‘can’t build’ homes” (Report, April 4) was followed by another in FT Money “Price premium signals London housing rebound” (April 6) and three days later “Review finds Homes England far short of targets” (April 9).

The harm caused by England’s housing crisis fills your pages day after day. It’s unacceptable that for many people their homes are unaffordable, temporary, insecure or even damaging to their health.

Wider failure across the housing system must be addressed and the dots must be joined across housing policy. We can move beyond short-termism and piecemeal policy solutions to instead galvanise opinion around a single shared vision; one that recognises everyone should have a home that is a place of comfort, safety and security.

We could be doing so much to solve the housing crisis, and so we must change the conversation, urgently. We have got to act by hardwiring long-term vision into our policymaking structures.

We are starting the process this week by publishing a vision for what a good housing system could look like with 25 outcomes for our homes, housing market, housing systems and policy. Combined with our vision comes a plea to all political parties to put short-term and party interests to one side for the greater good.

Transforming England’s housing system means working beyond the boundaries of both party and parliament.

That is why we are asking all parties to reflect our vision — “Homes for All” — in their manifestos. Moreover, we urge whichever party is in government after the next general election to secure the future and direction of housing strategy by urgently legislating for a climate change committee-style national housing body.

The Most Reverend Justin Welby
The Archbishop of Canterbury

Samantha Stewart
Interim CEO, the Nationwide Foundation

Matt Downie
Chief Executive, Crisis

Kate Henderson
CEO National Housing Federation

Shelagh Grant
CEO, The Housing Forum

Brian Berry
CEO, Federation of Master Builders

Ben Twomey
Chief Executive, Generation Rent

Gavin Smart
CEO, Chartered Institute of Housing

Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah
Chief Executive, New Economics Foundation