This is a joint blog post from Joshan Parmar, chair of the Cambrige University Liberal Association and Sam Hudson, Treasurer of the Cambridge University Labour Club. They argue that progressives should support street votes to help us solve the housing crisis!
The housing crisis is stealing opportunity from some of the most vulnerable in society. From those experiencing homelessness to struggling nurses barely able to pay rent or young professionals stuck in a flat share and unable to start a family, our failure to build enough homes impacts everyone in this country. We know that the solution to this crisis will require the building of many new homes, including social homes. But often schemes of this nature face local opposition. We cannot abandon large schemes but we also need to recognise that, especially with this government, we should jump at every idea that offers the chance for more homes to be built. Every home will help ease the housing crisis.
One such scheme that this Government is considering, and that we think has real promise, is called Street Votes. This would allow an individual street to hold a hyper local referendum on an agreed “street plan” which, if approved by a two thirds majority, would allow homeowners to expand their home or replace it with more housing. Residents would say yes because they would stand to gain: their property will rise in value significantly after a successful street vote. This would turn the delivery of new homes from a nasty fight to a win-win.
Street votes would work like this: a group of neighbours get together with an architect to propose a plan. This is a strict design code, a specific set of developments that are allowed, not a carte blanche. A vote is held where only residents get to vote. That means that tenants, not their landlords, would get to vote. If two thirds vote yes then everyone on the street has the permission, but they are under no obligation to do anything with it. There are numerous safeguards that will ensure this cannot be abused but instead delivers the high quality housing we all want to see:
- Rigorous environmental standards will protect the planet
- Landlords will have to pay tenants at least a year’s rent before exercising any permission
- Slope limits will ensure neighbours’ right to light is maintained
- The council will be able to raise money through S.106 or the development levy which they can use for providing essential local services, including social housing.
After a long campaign by a number of YIMBY groups, including PricedOut, the Government has been persuaded to trial our proposals. Progressives should not allow this policy area to be captured by the Conservative party. Analysis indicates that this policy could lead to 100,000 extra homes, per year, every year for fifteen years. Given the misery that this crisis inflicts, that is simply not something we can pass up. Street votes can also lead to larger houses, meaning more space for people to start families. But in addition, this policy offers the chance to bring local residents along with us as we tackle the housing crisis. Too often new development is a nasty fight and, frankly, we often don’t win. This policy offers a chance to try something different: something win-win, instead of zero-sum.
Our campaign for Street Votes is supported by a broad range of campaigners, architects, planners and others, including the former head of policy at Shelter, Chair of the Fabian Society Housing Group, the Chair of the G15 group of housing associations, Nick Hutchings of housing association a2dominion, Dan Wilson-Craw of Generation Rent, Shreya Nanda of the IPPR Centre for Economic Justice and Russell Curtis, the London Mayor’s Design Advocate. It’s truly a national, cross-party campaign.
If you agree with us that we should put aside party labels and make sure we do all we can to fight the housing crisis by signing our petition.
Joshan Parmar – Chair, Cambridge University Liberal Association
Sam Hudson – Treasurer, Cambridge University Labour Club
