Breaking the link between social housing and worklessness will be a priority for government, Caroline Flint told the Fabian Society in her first speech as Housing Minister, but Adam Sampson of Shelter and Dave Prentis of Unison warned of the danger of stigmatising social housing.

Back to The Future of Housing.

Tuesday, 5th February

Introduction

It's a real pleasure to make my first major speech as Housing and Planning Minister at such an important event.

I thought you might be interested in a little bit of research I did into previous conferences the Fabians have hosted on housing.

Published in 1916, an early History of the Fabian Society by Edward Pease says that "this particular form of propaganda has never commended itself to the Executive, chiefly no doubt because conferences, to which numerous representative persons are invited, are most useful for promoting moderate reforms which have already made themselves acceptable to the members and officials of local governing bodies".

I hope we are going to be a little bit more radical in expressing our views and ideas on social housing - and how it can act as a springboard for opportunity.

More houses, better houses

So today, we won't be discussing "moderate reforms which have already made themselves acceptable". Because housing in Britain doesn't require moderate reform. It needs urgent attention and swift action.

The acute housing shortage, with all its problems and implications, is well known and well debated.

This isn't an abstract issue of supply and demand, a dry topic for economists and commentators.

It's a practical, immediate problem with very real consequences for thousands of people from across the country.

The experience of many of my own constituents in Yorkshire is proof - contrary to common misconception - that the problem isn't limited to the South East.

While in the short term market conditions may be more challenging, by setting out our ambitious targets in the green paper, showing that we're absolutely committed to the need for more houses, we are giving housebuilders the confidence that they need to invest for the long-term.

Thanks in large part to Yvette's work, as well, of course, as the support of the Prime Minister, housing is now right at the top of the political agenda.

I believe we are winning the argument. But we need to establish a national consensus that building more homes - including social and affordable housing - is absolutely the right thing to do.

That will remain my first priority. And I intend to make sure that the momentum continues to build over the coming months.

What progress have we made?

The emphasis on new supply doesn't mean that we can afford to neglect our existing stock or tenants.

We have to make sure that social housing offers the best possible service to those tenants.

There's no doubt that service has improved over the last ten years.

When I was first elected, there were people living in my area in former Coal Board houses with no inside toilet or central heating.

In contrast, the Chair of the local TARA has just written to me saying that the improvements through the decent homes programme were making private houses nearby look drab by comparison.

Gone are the days when you had to wait weeks or even months for repairs. Tenants now have a much stronger voice - and consequently get a much better service.

With the new regulator, Oftenant, and National Tenant Voice, to champion tenants' interests at national level, we're taking this even further.

What are the challenges?

But today I want to focus on the relationship between social housing and life chances.

We have to make sure that social housing really delivers what tenants need.

We all agree that social housing must mean more than handing over the keys and leaving tenants to get on with it for the next thirty years.

But what should be the rest of the package that comes along with that new set of keys?

I think it should be a package which promotes progress and prosperity. So social housing acts as a springboard, not simply a safety net.

But most social tenants today simply aren't getting that level of service.

Far more common are the problems outlined by John Hills last year.

With many tenants stuck in unsuitable housing and unable to move. High levels of frustration and unhappiness.

Concentrations of deprivation and disadvantage - with long-term unemployment and some families without jobs for generations.

But it doesn't have to be like this.

There are many examples of housing associations and local authorities, working together and with others to make a real difference to tenants' lives.

And it isn't so many years ago that a council house was something to prize.

I believe that we can recapture that sense of pride. Better promote social mobility. And inspire people to take control of their own lives.

Where do we go next?

Back in December, Yvette outlined how we would respond to John's review, through a series of measures to bring social housing up to 21st century standards.

By helping tenants find the right house, at the right time. By helping people into work and onto the property ladder.

By breaking the link between social housing and poor housing - tackling overcrowding and building truly mixed communities.

As Minister for work, I could see a worsening picture of increasing levels of worklessness among social tenants - and it's just not good enough.

Today, more than half of all households in the social sector have no working aged adults employed.

This has been called a 'collapse' in employment rates among social tenants. And it's a major contributor to inter-generational poverty - with some children growing up without ever seeing an adult get up and off to work in the morning.

Originally, council housing brought together people from different social backgrounds and professions but this has declined.

We need to think radically and start a national debate about how we can reverse this trend, to build strong, diverse estates.

Social housing will always have a strong role in supporting the most vulnerable - the elderly, those with disabilities.

And with my experience from my previous posts, I don't underestimate for one minute the challenges that some people face in their lives.

But there are also many who are currently unemployed who could find work with the right training and support.

Many social tenants have a real appetite for change and self-improvement. Most say they'd like to own their own home. And if we don't work together to unlock their potential, then we are failing to live up to our responsibilities.

Landlords can make a big difference here. They know their tenants. They are also often trusted by their tenants when other services are viewed with suspicion.

They can put this knowledge, this positive relationship, to good use, by working with other services to help their tenants find the training or work they need.

And already, of course, many are already doing this.

RSLs have invested £200 million over the past five years in helping people into work. Thousands of people have benefited from opportunities to gain new skills, improve their confidence and employability.

The challenge is to make sure that it happens more widely.

A broader, better offer for social tenants

I want to make sure that when a family is looking for housing, they aren't just given a stack of forms and a place on a waiting list.

There should be a better, broader offer available, with new opportunities linked to employment and training.

Each family should be able to have a realistic and in-depth conversation, working out together what the best options for the long term are.

Whether social housing is really the right answer to their housing needs. What help or support they might need to find training, childcare, or work.

We will be trialling this more comprehensive advice through the housing options service.

This will offer people much greater choice. Not only between social homes, but perhaps through other options in the private rented sector or in low cost home ownership. And it will make the right links between housing advice and employment advice.

This is already happening in some areas. In the West London Housing Partnership, 300 housing staff will be trained to offer better advice to people in temporary accommodation.

There is no reason why other authorities couldn't also start to follow this lead.

Why, for example, couldn't outreach services be run in community centres or schools actually on the estates - especially through the working neighbourhoods fund?

The London Homelessness Team, run by Job Centre Plus, is already doing this by going out into hostels and day centres. But again, there's no reason that it couldn't work for a wider group of people.

Of course, the very nature of a more personalised service means working with different people in different ways. But I don't believe that anyone should be considered beyond reach.

As I said before, I appreciate that some tenants may need quite intensive levels of support, over a period of time.

And the Notting Hill Housing Trust will be trialling this way of working, going beyond advice to offer practical support and help people into work.

A voluntary contract will set out the opportunities on offer, underscoring the commitment of the tenants to self-improvement.

Are these contracts something that could be used more widely? Or are there other kinds of incentives and conditions which could be built into tenancy agreements or the benefits system?

If we are giving tenants a stronger voice, greater support and a better service, then it's only right that we have higher expectations in return.

Social housing should be based around the principle of something for something.

A better offer for young people

As we start to think about a better service for all tenants, I want to particularly focus on what young people need from the service. Far too many new social tenants under 25 are unemployed.

Imagine three different young people who come to the council searching for a home.

A teenager with a history of crime, turfed out by his parents and sleeping on the streets.

A nineteen year old girl, pregnant and unemployed, lacking any support from her family or friends.

A young man in his early twenties, who left school without any qualifications to drift through a series of short-term jobs.

We have become much better at finding these young people a home. But that's not enough.

Because while these are vastly different young people, with vastly different needs, the solution they're offered is usually the same.

And while we might have solved their immediate housing needs, we haven't even begun to get to the root of their real problems.

Is this the best that we can do? Is this the right start to adult life? It's a secure home, yes, but not the means to a fulfilling future nor the means to strive towards greater independence.

Already, some services are taking a different approach - helping young people to stand on their own two feet, rather than just leaving them to get on with it.

Look at the work of the Foyers service for example, helping ten thousand young people every year to overcome sometimes intense personal difficulty and get their adult lives on track. But it is 'something for something' that they are offered.

I believe that this could also work effectively elsewhere.

Conclusions

Obviously, just ten days into the job, I've been asking more questions than offering answers today.

And I want to finish by reiterating some of the questions I've asked, and which I've been thinking about over my first week. Because I do think that we need this national debate about the role of social housing in the twenty first century.

So should existing tenants who need to move for work be given higher priority on waiting lists?

Could new tenants who can work sign commitment contracts when getting a tenancy, agreeing to actively seek work alongside better support?

How can we expand existing schemes to offer those tenants in work who can't afford to buy their own home more opportunity to buy a share?

How can we improve the links between housing services and employment services?

And how do we continue to give tenants a stronger voice to improve services and drive up standards?

In my first weeks in the job, I very much want to work with you, debating these questions and listening to your views on how we can better meet the needs of social tenants.

And I hope you'll come to this debate with an open mind, debating what services should be offered at a local level, as well as the role of central government. Thinking about how we can empower people, but also how people can take greater responsibility for their own lives.

This may be a provocative debate. But sometimes I think you need that approach to start coming up with the right solutions. And I look forward to beginning that debate right now.

Thank you very much.