The Church Of England's 'Coming Home' Report ' A Summary

Published date07 April 2021
Subject MatterReal Estate and Construction, Real Estate, Landlord & Tenant - Leases
Law FirmWrigleys Solicitors
AuthorMr Peter Parker and Michael Wilcock

This article looks at the 'Coming Home' Report, recently published by the Church of England addressing the current housing crisis in this country.

The Commission of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York on Housing, Church and Community have recently published a report, known as the 'Coming Home' Report (the 'Report'). The Report addresses the housing crisis in the UK and calls for a national plan to tackle the issue.

This article will summarise the main points highlighted in the Report and provide an overview of the recommendations that the Report makes with the aim of alleviating the current situation.

The current issue

The Report highlights various issues with the current housing situation, focusing on the fact that currently around 8 million people in England live in overcrowded, unaffordable, or unsuitable homes. The Report emphasises that those caught in poverty bear the brunt of this issue and that the devastating effects of the COVID-19 crisis have only made matters worse. The Report argues that there is currently a correlation between poor housing, race, poverty, and health making it incredibly difficult for those in need to solve the problem for themselves.

Core values

The Report suggests five core values that should be adopted and that set a new standard for what good housing should look like. The Report argues that all homes should be sustainable, safe, stable, sociable and satisfying.

Recommendations for the Church

It is estimated that the Church of England owns around 105,000 acres of land across the country. The Report recommends that the Church should commit to using this land to promote more truly affordable homes, through developments that deliver on the five core values mentioned above. Local parishes and dioceses are also encouraged to 'respond creatively' to use their land and buildings to further the cause and to reduce the barriers to using Church land for social housing development.

Recommendations for the Government

The Report acknowledges that action from the Church alone will not be sufficient to solve this crisis and asks for more long-term, bold and coherent commitments from the Government focused on those with the greatest need.

It is...

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