Conference Puts Focus On Housing Crisis In Guildford

Published on: 27 Mar, 2018
Updated on: 28 Mar, 2018

Report by Brian Creese, press officer Guildford Labour Party

Melanie Onn MP, shadow minister for housing, opened a conference, Guildford’s Housing crisis: towards progressive solutions, on Thursday afternoon last week (March 22).

Melanie Onn MP addressing the conference.

Around 70 people gathered at the Millmead Baptist Church to attend the conference, jointly run by Guildford Labour Party, Guildford Action and Guildford Private Renters Association.

Although an MP for Great Grimsby, Melanie used to live in Liphook and chiefly remembers Guildford as the place she failed her driving test!

She outlined the various levels of crisis, both locally and across the country; the inexorably rising numbers of homeless, the crushing rise in rents and one-sided nature of tenure and the huge cost of buying a house. She poured scorn on the idea of half a million-pound houses being in any way ‘affordable’.

Melanie Onn MP with Howard Smith, Guildford Labour Party’s prospective parliamentary candidate.

She went on to provide a ‘sneak preview’ of Labour’s ‘New Deal on Housing’, which includes building more social housing, new powers of compulsorily purchase for unused land, making three-year tenancies the norm, capping rent increases, creating a homelessness task force led by the Prime Minister – and creating a sensible definition of affordable.

Although jointly organised by Guildford Labour Party, the event was open to all regardless of political persuasion, and councillors from both the Conservative and Liberal Democrats were in the audience.

Guildford Borough Councillor Philip Brooker, the Conservative lead for housing and environment, was a panel member alongside Anna Birley from the Co-operative Party and Kevin Fulcher from Homes for Surrey. There was also an authoritative presentation from Duncan Bowie, a member of the Bartlett School of Planning at UCL (University College London).

Panel discussion (Brian Creese, Keven Fulcher, Phillip Brooker).

Further workshops were held on community-led housing, student housing, private renting and homelessness in Guildford.

In total there were 14 speakers from a wide variety of organisations. There were a wide range of issues raised from the floor and although discussion and debate was sometimes passionate, the tone of the afternoon was one of working together to find progressive solutions to our local housing crisis.

Responses to Conference Puts Focus On Housing Crisis In Guildford

Howard Smith Reply

March 29, 2018 at 10:50 am

This was a really lively and informative conference on one of the leading issues in Guildford. It’s a pity that the government are only now realising the folly of selling off our social housing stock. Hopefully our next government will end Right to Buy, do something about Buy to Let and get Britain building again.
Jules Cranwell Reply

March 29, 2018 at 3:01 pm

Crisis, what crisis? An excess of demand does not equate to a crisis.

Can we all stop perpetrating this myth.
Brian Creese, Guildford Labour Party Reply

April 5, 2018 at 9:51 am

I don’t think there is much argument that there is a housing crisis in Guildford.

Currently the council estimates that around 14 people a night sleep rough and over 250 people are considered to be at risk of joining them.

Universal Credit, when it is introduced in the autumn will almost certainly increase these numbers.

The private rented sector continues grow in the borough. But median private rent in Guildford today is £1,250 per month compared to £675 for England as a whole.

By comparison, the lowest quartile median income in Guildford is £22,099.

For those looking to buy, the average house price in Guildford is around £440,000, 14 times the average median income of £31,207.

If you are a teacher, a nurse, a dentist, a care worker, a junior researcher you cannot afford to rent or buy in Guildford.

Housing is a key reason why it is harder and harder for employers to recruit staff – why teach in Guildford when you could teach in Petersfield and afford somewhere to live?

As for getting a mortgage – if you don’t have rich parents forget it.

So while you may not call that a crisis I suggest most people would!
Richard Mithen Reply

April 5, 2018 at 11:35 am

Crisis; “a time of intense difficulty, or a time when a difficult or important decision must be made.”

According to Get Surrey: “Figures from the National Housing Federation’s Home Truths survey for 2016/17 showed Guildford’s average house price was just under £500,000 and rents averaged at £1,250 a month.”

According to Shelter: “Home ownership is slipping out of reach: On average, house prices are now almost seven times people’s incomes. No matter how hard they work, it’s becoming more and more difficult for young people to save up and buy a home of their own. In the last decade, home ownership fell for the first time since Census records began.”

This is a crisis.
Sue Hackman Reply

April 5, 2018 at 5:15 pm

Crisis, what crisis?

Jules, it’s the one that has put the homeleess out on North Street this winter, and sprouted threadbare tents on spare land further out.

And there’s more…hands up all those homeowners whose children can afford to buy here? Many under 30s are hard-pushed to afford rents here. A generation of our children have been priced out of their home town and are heading out.

There is a crisis, even if it is not happening to you.
Anne Rouse Reply

April 6, 2018 at 11:33 am

The worst thing about the comment from Jules is that he obviously believes that it’s okay for our young people to be renting sub-standard properties from some landlords who do not care about the condition of their property.

They offer no security in their tenancies and can virtually force people to move out with little notice.

These people work in Guildford, providing services that Jules and his friends and family need – if we all take the attitude that it’s not important where will these workers go and who will provide those services.

Caring about others who are less fortunate than our generation is always a trait I’ve admired. Nimbyism – I’m not so happy about!
Jules Cranwell Reply

April 6, 2018 at 1:37 pm

If you read my previous comments, you’ll see I’m referring to the national context.

There cannot be a national crisis, when there are homes aplenty outside the South `east, including homes recently sold for £10 in Liverpool.

The real crisis is in demand and migration to the South East, due to a patent lack of infrastructure and employment investment elsewhere.

Guildford Borough Council’s Local Plan will only produce unaffordable (for most) executive, large homes. It does nothing for those in real need, such as key workers.