Coming Home: A ‘Theological Justification’ for the Church to Support Housing Action
25th May 2021
The Coming Home report was launched by the Church of England in February this year, setting out the findings of the independent Commission on Housing, Church and Community. It states:
“This report highlights five core values that set a new standard and vision for what good housing should look like. A good home is a place that enables us to live in harmony with the natural environment, it is a place where we feel safe, it enables us to put down roots and belong to a community, it is a place we enjoy living in and which is a delight to come home to. In other words, homes should be:
- Sustainable
- Safe
- Stable
- Sociable
- Satisfying
For too many people, their reality falls short of this vision for good housing. We can and must do better. Every actor in the housing market – landowners, developers, landlords and homeowners, as well as government – has a collective responsibility to act. Now more than ever.”
The report goes on to describe actions required - including amendments to the legal framework for Church land disposal and the development of a long-term, coherent and cross-party housing strategy, by government, including an increase in public capital subsidy and a full review of the social security system.
The report contains a wealth of data and examples of successful collaborative working, including the excellent on-going work of The Keswick Community Land Trust. Community Led Housing represents the ‘diversity of approach’ required to meet the different needs of local communities.
“At the heart of this report is the idea that simply building more houses – whilst important – is not sufficient to address the prolonged housing issues this country continues to face.” To read the full report follow this link https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/priorities/coming-home