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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/10/sharing-rather-than-building-is-the-answer-to-housing-shortage
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Sharing rather than building is the answer to housing shortage | Sharing rather than building is the answer to housing shortage |
| (2 months later) | |
| Regarding Radhika Bynon’s letter (14 September) about housing innovation and scaling up solutions to make the sector work better, I argue that the true innovation lies in how people live, not in the building of more homes. During my PhD research into alternative living arrangements in later life I analysed the housing stock statistics to discover that if the current stock was divided up between every person (including children) in England and Wales, we would each have space the size of a double garage (41 sq metres), which is easily enough to live in. So the challenge is one of redistribution, not construction. | Regarding Radhika Bynon’s letter (14 September) about housing innovation and scaling up solutions to make the sector work better, I argue that the true innovation lies in how people live, not in the building of more homes. During my PhD research into alternative living arrangements in later life I analysed the housing stock statistics to discover that if the current stock was divided up between every person (including children) in England and Wales, we would each have space the size of a double garage (41 sq metres), which is easily enough to live in. So the challenge is one of redistribution, not construction. |
| My friends and I are doing the responsible thing as over-50s in the south-east of England: selling our family homes and moving in together, combining downsizing our personal space, passing on “stuff” and upsizing our communal play space. We will be releasing three family homes and moving into one large home and taking responsibility for looking after each other into our later years. Such moves shouldn’t feel like an innovation, but in our utterly broken market-based housing system it still is. We have used a well-established system (the housing co-operative model) to enable us to do it, and are working with others to help them do the same. Let’s keep the focus on sharing what we already have.Andrea JonesMember of Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust | My friends and I are doing the responsible thing as over-50s in the south-east of England: selling our family homes and moving in together, combining downsizing our personal space, passing on “stuff” and upsizing our communal play space. We will be releasing three family homes and moving into one large home and taking responsibility for looking after each other into our later years. Such moves shouldn’t feel like an innovation, but in our utterly broken market-based housing system it still is. We have used a well-established system (the housing co-operative model) to enable us to do it, and are working with others to help them do the same. Let’s keep the focus on sharing what we already have.Andrea JonesMember of Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust |
| • I’m sickened and angered every time I see a politician excitedly announcing another development of pocket homes, or whatever the latest promotional euphemism for these squalid moneyspinners is (Can anyone feel at home in shoebox Britain?, G2, 10 October). Superficially shiny new ones are subsidised with Help to Buy – where the government input mirrors the developers’ profits since the scheme’s inception – while the planning-free conversion of failed office blocks is hailed as a reduction of red tape for economic growth. | • I’m sickened and angered every time I see a politician excitedly announcing another development of pocket homes, or whatever the latest promotional euphemism for these squalid moneyspinners is (Can anyone feel at home in shoebox Britain?, G2, 10 October). Superficially shiny new ones are subsidised with Help to Buy – where the government input mirrors the developers’ profits since the scheme’s inception – while the planning-free conversion of failed office blocks is hailed as a reduction of red tape for economic growth. |
| The Parker Morris standards mentioned in the article were scrapped under Thatcher. The 1960s estates that are being flattened in the name of regeneration by councils of all colours had better space standards than anything that replaces them, not to mention greater affordability. | The Parker Morris standards mentioned in the article were scrapped under Thatcher. The 1960s estates that are being flattened in the name of regeneration by councils of all colours had better space standards than anything that replaces them, not to mention greater affordability. |
| Despite keeping a keen eye on planning, I have no idea what Labour’s policies are on this, beyond the universal anodyne ambition to build more. It would be good to have some proper policies. Creating more shoeboxes is unacceptable, and ultimately more expensive in social and health results. Judith MartinWinchester, Hants | Despite keeping a keen eye on planning, I have no idea what Labour’s policies are on this, beyond the universal anodyne ambition to build more. It would be good to have some proper policies. Creating more shoeboxes is unacceptable, and ultimately more expensive in social and health results. Judith MartinWinchester, Hants |
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