Two Board members and two CBHA staff heard how recent political announcements and spending cuts will affect social housing when they attended an annual national conference this month.
Resident member Coralie Francis, of Walthamstow, and co-opted member June Welcome went with staff members Tom Fleming and Lisa Marie-Curran to Birmingham for the Board Members’ event, organised by the National Housing Federation.
Coralie said: “Much of the agenda was focused on politics and the effects the Government’s policies will have on housing issues.
“There were some very good speakers including the writer and broadcaster Andrew Neil.”
The conference looked at how changes to housing benefit will affect social housing residents. Concerns included the cap on housing benefits and the shortfall of rent this would leave. Another worry was that the changes would do the opposite of what was intended and leave people in the benefits trap.
One of the key speakers, National Housing Federation chair Matthew Taylor said housing was not a high enough priority for this Government. Co-founder of the Centre for Social Justice and Editor of Conservative Home, Tim Montgomerie, said the spending cuts and tax rises were more radical than under Margaret Thatcher.
CBHA Board member June Welcome, who has many years’ experience of working in housing, found the event very useful. She said she was used to making strategic decisions and looking at the long-term benefits for residents but that speaking to other Board members had made her even more keen to spend time visiting CBHA areas and getting to know the residents.
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