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Articles by Abi O'Connor
Has Rachel Reeves made the right calls in this budget? Our panel responds
This budget will be remembered for finally abolishing the monstrous two-child benefit cap. That’s what Labour budgets do, boosting the low-paid, taking from the well-off. Children always come first, as 450,000 will be , more than in any budget before. The chancellor reeled off Labour’s too often ignored child-first priorities: universal nurseries from nine months, breakfast clubs, more free school meals, school libraries, a youth guarantee. No, not back to 2010, but it’s progress.
Built by us
Publications Understanding the distinctiveness of by-and-for organisations Download the report Across millennia, people have come together to take action on things that matter to them and solve the problems that are important in their communities – be they communities of interest, identity, or geography.
Detailing the database
Publications How the private rented sector database can support enforcement and drive up standards Download the report The Renters’ Rights Bill presents a once in a generation opportunity to tackle England’s long-standing crisis in the private rented sector (PRS). Among its most consequential components is the introduction of a national PRS database.
Publications The Brownfield Housing Fund in the north-east Download the report The use of brownfield land for housing development has become a key political priority in the UK, driven by the need to address the housing crisis and promote sustainable development. Previously developed but now vacant or derelict Brownfield sites offer an opportunity to reduce urban sprawl, make use of underused land, and help revitalise struggling communities.
The development model in practice
Publications The Brownfield Housing Fund in the north-east Download the report The use of brownfield land for housing development has become a key political priority in the UK, driven by the need to address the housing crisis and promote sustainable development. Previously developed but now vacant or derelict Brownfield sites offer an opportunity to reduce urban sprawl, make use of underused land, and help revitalise struggling communities.
The foundations of the housing crisis
Blog How our extractive land and development models work against public good Download the report The economic model that underpins the development of places and homes in the UK is fundamentally broken. It serves to extract value that is collectively created through the economic life of these places for the benefit of relatively few private owners. In doing so, it reinforces the stark income and wealth inequalities in the wider economy. However, this development model is not inevitable.
A piece of the housing puzzle
Publications Context, barriers and opportunities for community housing in the north-east Download the report Over the last century, various models of community housing – co-operatives, self-build associations, community land trusts – have arisen at different stages, with peaks and troughs in the levels of activity. Given the current extreme pressure on safe and affordable homes, community provision of housing is now re-emerging as an option for communities across the country.
Devolution won’t work unless we fix local government funding
Blog There is a broad consensus on devolving powers, but the next government first needs to fix local government finances, otherwise it will push more responsibility onto an already broken system. Today, voters will head to the polls to choose 10 metro mayors in the biggest set of devolved elections in England to date. After the election, there will be 12 metro mayors in total, including in all of England’s largest cities, up from just one mayor a decade ago.
Buying back better
Publications How social housing acquisitions in London can tackle homelessness and help councils avert bankruptcy Download the report The UK is in the midst of a longstanding but sharply deepening housing crisis. And in no part of the country is that crisis more visceral than in London. With already sky-high rents rising steeply as part of the cost-of-living squeeze, London’s councils face record numbers of homeless families for whom they must provide homes.
Liverpool close to bankruptcy: how decades of stigma have pushed the city into financial ruin
Thanks in part to a rich cultural and sporting heritage Liverpool is an internationally renowned city. But the municipal authority has a £44 million (US$54m) funding black hole and is on the brink of bankruptcy. The city’s latest financial woes are a result of the coronavirus crisis, as the UK government backtracks on promises of funding. However, like the pattern of illness, the financial impact of the pandemic has not been evenly spread.
Liverpool close to bankruptcy: how decades of stigma have pushed the city into financial ruin
Thanks in part to a rich cultural and sporting heritage Liverpool is an internationally renowned city. But the municipal authority has a £44 million (US$54m) funding black hole and is on the brink of bankruptcy. The city’s latest financial woes are a result of the coronavirus crisis, as the UK government backtracks on promises of funding. However, like the pattern of illness, the financial impact of the pandemic has not been evenly spread.
Liverpool close to bankruptcy: how decades of stigma have pushed the city into financial ruin
Thanks in part to a rich cultural and sporting heritage Liverpool is an internationally renowned city. But the municipal authority has a £44 million (US$54m) funding black hole and is on the brink of bankruptcy. The city’s latest financial woes are a result of the coronavirus crisis, as the UK government backtracks on promises of funding. However, like the pattern of illness, the financial impact of the pandemic has not been evenly spread.
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