HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT

That this House recalls Article 25 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights which guarantees everyone the unqualified right to adequate housing irrespective of employment status and welcomes the Government's announcement to build three million new homes; but notes with concern proposals to make the right to access social housing contingent upon the applicant's activities in the labour market; believes that such a policy will place a greater burden on the taxpayer in terms of temporary accommodation costs, increase the already too large number of homeless people, increase poverty among vulnerable groups, and will not tackle barriers that are in place for those trapped in a cycle of unemployment; further notes that such issues as housing benefit regulations act as a barrier for people to access work and that reform is much overdue, that changes in benefit regulation, greater provision of employment advice and support as well as increased low-cost childcare options would help many of those who are currently unemployed enter into the labour market; believes that threatening the tenancies of social housing residents is not an effective solution to tackle unemployment; and calls upon the Government to reject this approach to housing and employment.