Home as a foundation: the third update from the Foresight Group

Bold new approaches to tackling the housing crisis were also discussed, as was the relationship between poor housing and ill-health.

Group members Niomi Gibson, Clarion resident and family support practitioner, and Professor Lorraine Farrelly, head of architecture and built environment, University of York, gave presentations on resident co-design, capability and empowerment.

Residents should be properly involved from day one in helping to design the homes, communities, and services that they need, the group was told.

And trust is key in boosting the confidence of residents to access the support that can help them to develop life skills and greater independence, the group heard.

Presentations on the theme of delivering equity and sufficiency were given by Andrew Greenwood, deputy chief executive, Leeds Building Society, and Joe Farrington-Douglas, senior fellow, The Health Foundation.

One of the ideas put forward was for an independent body to be created that would be responsible for ensuring the UK has the houses that it needs and for long term housing targets to be enshrined in legislation.

Another suggestion was for changes to stamp duty to provide incentives for people to downsize into smaller homes.

The group was also told about a “health crisis” and its links to housing, with some 3.5m households in England living in non-decent homes now that are damp, cold, and outdated or dilapidated.

The group’s work to face the challenges of the future continued to evolve, with a focus on identifying opportunities to make a positive difference for people, their communities, and the wider environment.

It will meet again in July and complete its work later this year, when its final findings will be released.

David Orr, chair of Clarion Housing Association, commented: “what we're trying to do is create a narrative of a future that's better than the present” which is both “compelling” and “realistic”. The aim is to find a “new paradigm, a new way of doing things,” he added.