Housing Justice’s mission begins from the principle that everyone deserves a home that is suitable to their needs. Without a secure home no-one can flourish and become the person God created them to be.
Street homelessness is, of course, the most visible and challenging expression of housing need and social exclusion. But it is equally important to remember that many families live in unsuitable, overcrowded or insecure housing. The need for an adequate supply of affordable housing in the UK, particularly for lower income families, has never been greater.
Housing Justice has its origins in the work of the Catholic Housing Aid Society, set up in 1956 to address housing need and challenge housing discrimination. CHAS supporters have over the years set up many local housing action groups, Housing Associations, and independent Housing Advice Services, some of which are still active. When CHAS merged with the ecumenical Churches National Housing Coalition in 2003, forming Housing Justice, the new mission statement became: “We exist because we believe that human dignity is challenged by the lack of decent housing”
Our housing work today continues this mission. Some of the ways we do this:
- Supporting an active membership network of Christians and churches responding locally to homelessness and housing need.
- Lobbying for affordable housing e.g. by contributing to government housing policy; influencing the debate on housing and affordability
- Encouraging the inclusion of affordable housing in church redevelopment of land and property through our Faith in Affordable Housing Project
- Supporting self help housing models such as community land trusts, co-housing projects and co-operatives.
- Working to support Christian housing professionals in local government and housing associations
