Speakers
Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale & President, Liberal Democrats
Professor Steve Wilcox, Centre for Housing Policy, University of York
Toby Lloyd, Head of Policy, Shelter
Further speakers to be confirmed
Chair
Nigel Keohane, Deputy Director, SMF
The cost of housing represents a huge problem for the effectiveness of financial work incentives. Recent research has shown that the impact of housing on poverty has grown over the past two decades. In the private rental sector in particular, poverty, after housing costs, is a significant problem. One solution might be for the government to take a more strategic role in housing policy helping to resolve the UK’s chronic housing shortage. However, research shows that social housing provision tends to reduce residential mobility, often trapping people in unsuitable labour markets.
This roundtable discussion will explore new ideas to tackle in-work poverty, affordable housing and housing supply. It will bring together leading thinkers from across the political spectrum to ask: Which policy levers should Government use when it comes to housing? How can it approach housing policy in a way that reduces poverty? And, what are the implications of various options for both work incentives and poverty itself?
