Latest News | 24 March 2021
New report shows how UK can build its way out of pandemic
A new report by Hodgkinson Builders and the University of Derby claims social housing could be key to the UK building its way out of the pandemic.
The Annual Social Housing Report paints a warts-and-all picture of the current state of the construction industry, including the deep-seated problems caused by skills shortages and poor construction methods.
But its main focus is to highlight the crisis surrounding a lack of social housing and the need for people and organisations to change negative attitudes towards the concept of social housing.
Ian Hodgkinson, managing director of Hodgkinson Builders, is urging businesses and governments to use smarter, more sustainable methods to build much-needed social housing quickly.
The report explains how every affordable home built in the UK generates an additional £108,000 for the economy, due to the creation of jobs and boost to the local businesses in that area.
It also details why improving the housing stock for the less well-off will cut billions in unnecessary expenditure from the NHS bill.
Ian said: “Never has there been a better time to improve housing and social housing in the UK.
“Faced with the economic challenges caused by the current pandemic, this is an area that could drive our economy in the right direction and give us a chance to build our way out of a crisis.
“Although this report was conceived and written during the pandemic, it’s something that I’ve been meaning to do for a long time.
“But now, the conclusions it draws are even more poignant than they were beforehand.”
Ian said that with so many people struggling financially, and with the benefit system funding increasingly expensive temporary housing solutions for homeless families, it was imperative that efforts were made to remove the stigma of social housing.
He said: “Investment in social and affordable housing has profound benefits for the economy, for people’s health and well-being and for the adhesion of local communities.
“I hope this white paper helps to sort out the facts from the myths in such a way that we can finally achieve the goal of providing every person with a solid roof over their head.”
The non-political white paper is being distributed to government ministers, housing associations, local authorities and other decision-makers in the hope that it will help to shape future housing policy.
To download a free copy of the Annual Social Housing Report 2021, visit www.hodgkinsonbuilders.com or contact the team on Twitter (@HodgkinsonBuild) or Facebook (@Hodgkinson Builders).
