measures that should be imposed by the government and adopted by the home
building industry be delayed, or worse still, abandoned completely?
We cannot let this virus send us backwards. Against all odds, we need to be
positive and push forwards. For me, if there is one positive thing that should come
out of this horrendous pandemic and difficult lockdown it’s for our government, our
businesses and corporations, and for everyone in society to take the time to consider
how we might live our lives differently in Britain to the benefit of EVERYONE in the
country. Covid-19 is indiscriminate, and in some ways you could say it has levelled
out society. It has shown that every single one of us is vulnerable because we have all
been affected by this. But, unfortunately, some are far more vulnerable than others.
Shelter, for whom I’ve been an ambassador for many years, announced a couple of
years ago that “one in three working families is only one pay cheque away from losing
their home”. I dread to think how many more families will be added to the list of
350,000 people currently homeless in Britain because of the pandemic.
So, Britain needs a big, positive and radical reboot.
The day after the armistice of World War 1, when we defeated a very visible
enemy, our prime minister Lloyd George promised homes for heroes when he said:
“Habitations fit for the heroes who have won the war”. Now, 101 years later in this new
battle against an indiscriminate, devastating and invisible enemy, we’ve realised that
our heroes aren't celebrities, footballers or racing car drivers; our real heroes are our
healthcare workers, NHS staff, doctors, nurses, social care workers, firefighters, the
military, cleaners, supermarket staff, teachers, van drivers, delivery men and women,
train drivers, Tube drivers, bus drivers, rubbish collectors, factory workers making PPE
equipment, our volunteers (this list could go on forever, I'm sure you’ll agree!) who
are working tirelessly and often putting their own lives at risk to keep people alive
and to keep essential services going. They are our heroes. I’ve heard some politicians
recently calling these people “ordinary hardworking people”. They aren't “ordinary”,
they are “EXTRAORDINARY” people.
So, the best way we can all thank them is to give them safe, stable, secure, and
genuinely affordable homes in amazing communities. Let's make them green,
sustainable, with low (even zero!) energy costs to end fuel poverty. Let's build them
to last using the best quality, ecological materials. Let's stop buying low-quality
building materials that have to be transported thousands of miles from far-flung
places around the world and don’t stand the test of time when the homes are built.
Instead, with government support, let's reboot the entire British manufacturing
industry to design and build our own building materials, products,
and components that have a low carbon footprint. The very best
architects should be pushed to design spaces in and around the
homes that dramatically improve our quality of life, homes that
make us happy, that improve our mental health and wellbeing.
Homes that exist in harmony with mother nature and not fight
against her. Homes that embrace the benefits of technology and
reflect 21 st-century ways of living where inevitably more of us are
going to start working more from home, saving time and money
on pointless travel. Exciting homes for enthusiastic and energetic
young people of today who don’t want to be burdened their whole
life with debt. And we should be creating wonderful ecological
homesfortheelderly,forpeopleliketheabsolutelyincredible
99-year-oldCaptainTomMoore(whowhenI lastcheckedhad
single-handedlyraisedastaggering£28mfortheNHS!)who
has given so much to Britain, yet asked for very little in return.
Without a safe, secure, stable, and truly affordable home,
everything else in life is going to be a massive struggle. The
government has to get this rig
end homelessness in Britain o
for all.
It is time for the nation to
super-green homes for every s
of our superheroes; the extrao
people of Britain who keep us
keep the country going.
Stay safe. And stay home...
of the lucky ones to have a sta
your head.George Clarke presents Th
Restoration Man and Geor
Clarke’s Amazing Spaces a
is founder of housing char
MOBIE. @MrGeorgeClark30 APRIL-06 MAY 2020 BIGISSUE.COM | 31