Policy and Public Affairs at The Housing Forum. Interested in UK housing policy, planning, economics, housebuilding, energy, social policy. Views are my own. Cambridge based. https://housingforum.org.uk/https://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mr5cditzy22wNo, it didn't just take political will - if it was easy to end rough sleeping, we'd have done it by now. Here are a few ways you could try - but all come with downsides... 🧵 [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Jul 2026 07:35 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr5cditzy22whttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mr5c2vttjs2wInteresting that the VAT cut to electricity bills is being badged as cost of living support. It's also very much the direction of travel needed for decarbonisation - making it more financially attractive to move off gas and onto a heat pump.21 Jul 2026 07:31 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr5c2vttjs2whttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mqx5jk2aes2cIf Andy Burnham (or anyone else) wants to understand the challenges of building more homes, I'd strongly recommend this balanced and nuanced article by @jburnmurdoch.ft.com How to fix the housing crisis - https://giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/actions/redeem/67406d4c-986b-4b32-8652-6bf687940766 via @FT18 Jul 2026 20:53 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqx5jk2aes2chttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mqotbpkxcc2kThese are the kinds of radical environmental policies I'd like to see from the Green Party. Would be so much more helpful for opening up the debate on the pace and route to net zero, than just advocating for a wealth tax that can somehow pay for massively expanded spending. [contains quote post or other embedded content]15 Jul 2026 13:29 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqotbpkxcc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mq7ufpyhv22pChina often gets seen as behind in addressing climate change. But having been there recently, this doesn't surprise me - They're really proud of their reforestation efforts, and very much starting to plan for a future beyond coal. [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 Jul 2026 14:39 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq7ufpyhv22phttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mq36mxdps22uAll the main parties have now confirmed they're not standing I believe. So Count Binface could plausibly pick up all the anti-Farage voters.... [contains quote post or other embedded content]07 Jul 2026 17:59 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq36mxdps22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mpq4i5gd6s2vI don't think @martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com should be encouraging people to open Lifetime ISAs before they are reformed - they're a flawed product and too many people can end to losing money on them. Savers race to open £4k bonus Isa before Labour scraps it https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/investing/isas/savers-race-to-open-4k-bonus-isa-before-labour-scraps-it/03 Jul 2026 08:21 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpq4i5gd6s2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mpq3mbuk2s2vNew rules to speed to planning for major infrastructure projects come into effect today. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fastest-infrastructure-building-in-a-generation-as-planning-rules-overhauled03 Jul 2026 08:05 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpq3mbuk2s2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mp7bbbzs3s2mIt bewilders me how one bit of government can spend years finessing a new policy (mandating solar on newbuild homes), whilst another bit is busy on its own - TOTALLY CONTRADICTORY policy (effectively banning solar on small roofs, and significantly reducing it on all roofs) 🤷 [contains quote post or other embedded content]26 Jun 2026 15:31 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp7bbbzs3s2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mp42lquvr22pWas at a great session on the topic of misinformation in social housing allocations yesterday. Key takeaways were that - misinformation is rife - frontline staff do not always know how to combat it -BME staff feel their organisation isn't doing enough to support them. White staff seem oblivious. [contains quote post or other embedded content]25 Jun 2026 08:54 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp42lquvr22phttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mouwhifygc2eOh dear. Andy Burhnam is going to be on a steep learning curve if he thinks the existing £39bn Government funding could be rediverted to fund "the biggest programme of council housebuilding since the Second World War”. - The £39bn (over 10y) would fund around 20,000/yr - In 1954, we built 198,210.22 Jun 2026 12:51 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mouwhifygc2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3moklhmfias2tWhy does it cost more for councils and housing associations to build new homes than it does the private sector? https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/why-is-development-more-expensive-for-social-landlords-97463?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Jun 2026 10:08 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3moklhmfias2thttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3modmqdvou22zA bit of context on Reform's proposals to evict social housing tenants: - 15% of social housing tenants were born abroad (compared with 17% of all households) - Just 7% of social housing tenants had a non-UK passport (compared with 10% of all households) https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/migrants-and-housing-in-the-uk/15 Jun 2026 15:42 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3modmqdvou22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mnxhjlxghs2uStrong words from @london.gov.uk here - directly linking the violence in Belfast to normalisation of violence in political rhetoric, including online. [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 Jun 2026 19:37 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnxhjlxghs2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mnwct2gdkk2uWith demographic change, concerns about the value of going to university and tighter rules for foreign students, I suspect we'll see more of these applications to convert student housing to other uses. [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 Jun 2026 08:40 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnwct2gdkk2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mnuckjvoqs2mVery interested to see that the Government is looking at stamp duty reform. But abolishing it completely could mean Government loses one of the few levers it has to try to stablise the housing market. 🧵 [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 Jun 2026 13:30 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnuckjvoqs2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mncwrxbeg222At an event today with a speaker on business's growing use of AI. They get to a slide comparing household saving levels in 2025 & 2026. Speaker "Er...actually AI made these slides and it's got the 2025 and 2026 labels swapped round.." Not filling me with confidence on the growing AI revolution....02 Jun 2026 15:44 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mncwrxbeg222https://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mmy4vqurvs2nDespite all its craziness, "Forest City" does seem to be gaining some momentum. [contains quote post or other embedded content]29 May 2026 08:34 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmy4vqurvs2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mmy2zfog2k2nGovernment's new towns programme is looking vulnerable to political flux: "Enfield Council has formally withdrawn from the government’s New Town programme, following the election of Cllr Alessandro Georgiou as Leader of the Council" https://www.enfield.gov.uk/news-and-events/2026/enfield-withdraws-from-new-town-process-following-change-in-leadership29 May 2026 08:00 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmy2zfog2k2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mly65idcgs23'Cause nothing says how special England is like copying a slogan from America 🤨16 May 2026 15:31 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mly65idcgs23https://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mlvsb6recc2tPersuading local authorities to take "someone else's" housing requirements has never been easy. One of the benefits of the local government reorganisation is that in many areas, small authorities will be merged with their neighbours, which should give much less of an "us and them" mentality. [contains quote post or other embedded content]15 May 2026 16:53 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlvsb6recc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mlvjbzlau22zFundamental problem here is that even if you could do this without causing landlords to sell up (unlikely), there wouldn't be any more housing to go around. Where would the renters who've been forced out by the high rents be living? [contains quote post or other embedded content]15 May 2026 14:13 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlvjbzlau22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/annaclarke.bsky.social/post/3mlqjicecb22yGovernment had, until now, been saying it would bring forward these reforms to the Right to Buy "when parliamentary time allows" - good to see it's risen up the priority list and was included in today's Kings Speech. [contains quote post or other embedded content]13 May 2026 14:33 +0000at://did:plc:vmrvfcdfx2yi2b2attuigson/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqjicecb22y