15 Jul National Housing Group set up to deliver social housing that makes a difference
With latest figures showing that homelessness due to no-fault evictions has risen by 50 percent in the past year, one organisation is tackling the housing crisis head on.
National Housing Group (NHG) was founded in January 2020 in a bid to tackle homelessness and the housing crisis by retrofitting disused properties around the country.
Working in partnership with housing associations, councils and charities, the properties are then let to vulnerable adults who might otherwise struggle to secure housing.
Despite the work of organisations like NHG, recent government figures showed that:
24,060 households were threatened with homelessness in England as a result of a Section 21 no-fault eviction in 2022 – a 50 percent increase on 2021
290,330 households faced homelessness in 2022 in England – a rise of six percent compared to the year before
Similarly, government statistics released earlier this year showed that an estimated 3,069 people were sleeping rough – a 26 percent annual increase.
Despite the launch of the Everyone In scheme during the Covid pandemic, these figures highlight the lack of affordable homes. In fact, the National Housing Federation estimates that 340,000 new homes need to be built in England each year to keep up with housing demand.
In its manifesto, the government committed to end rough sleeping by 2024, however, the system continues to be at breaking point, with growing numbers of people approaching councils and other organisations homelessness help.
Over the past three years, NHG has already rehomed 150 people and it continues to redevelop properties throughout the UK.
Stephen Wasserman, CEO and founder of NHG, said: “Despite constant pledges by the government and the efforts of organisations and councils across the country, homelessness continues to be an ever-growing problem, especially amidst the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis which is affecting so many people at the moment.
“NHG was set up with one purpose in mind – to tackle the housing crisis and homelessness and that is exactly what we have strived to do over the past three years. Giving people a secure place offers them stability, protection, a safe haven, increased self-worth and improved mental and physical health.
“We operate on the Housing First model, which essentially states that housing is a fundamental human right. We’ve already received great feedback from our partners and tenants, and are committed to ensuring that more vulnerable people have access to high-quality, purpose-built social housing in their local areas.” .”
