People of Bath and North East Somerset are catching a bus as part of a nationwide campaign to end the housing crisis within a generation.
A 'Homes for Britain'-branded double-decker bus arrived in Midsomer Norton, Keynsham and Bath on Monday, 2nd March, as part of the relay to the rally which started in Land's End on 17th February and is set to arrive in Westminster in time for the Homes for Britain rally on 17th March.
Bath-based housing and support organisation, Curo, drove the Routemaster double-decker bus to Midsomer Norton High Street and called on North East Somerset's Parliamentary Candidates in the General Election to visit the bus and pledge to tackle the housing crisis should they become the area's next MP.
Representatives from Curo were keen to meet people who are concerned about the lack of housing locally and who want to ask their next MP what they will be doing to end the housing crisis. Residents were invited to sign petitions and pose with boards which were then tweeted using the hashtag #HomesForBritain.
Homes for Britain's call comes at a time when housing demand vastly outstrips supply at both national and local level. The Home Truths report shows that over the next twenty years in the South West region alone, there will be 439,000 new families, all of whom will need homes, but at current building rates, 200,000 will have nowhere to live. Meanwhile, some areas are in desperate need of regeneration and jobs and having the right types of homes in the right places can play a vital role in sparking new life into these communities.
Curo Chief Executive, Victor da Cunha, said: "In Bath and North East Somerset, the average house price is now the highest in the West of England, topping £300k. That's over eleven times the average salary for the district. Meanwhile, private sector rents in B&NES are the highest across the whole of the South West of England. We're calling on local people to make housing an election issue and ask their Parliamentary Candidates what they'll be doing to tackle the housing crisis."
Homes for Britain is campaigning for the next Government to come up with a long-term plan to tackle the housing crisis within a year of getting into office. It is being backed by thousands of people up and down the country who have joined forces with organisations from every corner of the housing world.
Across the UK, housing association colleagues, residents and members of the public are making their way to the Homes for Britain rally. Taking place in the heart of Westminster, thousands of people will come together for the biggest housing rally in a generation.
Leader of B&NES Council, Cllr Paul Crossley, said: "We support this project, it's important that families have a place to live, particularly in Bath and North East Somerset, where land value is high. We have been exceeding our housing standards and with our Core Strategy, we have an even more challenging target, but we're confident we'll reach it."
Jenny Allen, External Affairs Manager at the National Housing Federation, said: "We are delighted that Curo is backing Homes for Britain and calling on Bath and North East Somerset politicians to make housing an election issue."