The government must create a dedicated department for housing that would treble spending on social housing, said a report published this week by housing charity Shelter.

The report, Generation Squalor, is the result of a national investigation by the charity into the housing crisis facing Britain’s children. It argues that spending must rise from £1.6bn to £4.8bn and a new department for housing and communities should be created by reorganising the ODPM.

The research suggests skin diseases, self-harming and depression in children could be reduced through initiatives such as a modern overcrowding standard.

The issues were raised at Shelter’s pre-election hustings event held in London yesterday. Adam Sampson, director of Shelter, said the scale of the challenge revealed in the report led to the demand for a more focused department for housing.

Source

Housing Today