Countdown to the general election has begun

The countdown to the UK general election has begun and politicians are pushing forward their campaigns to fight for every vote.

The election promises to be closely contested, following developments in 2009 where the local and European elections confirmed the Conservatives’ lead over Labour.

It is vital that housing stays at the top of the political agenda and that the next government invest more in social housing in order to achieve many public policy objectives, including better educational achievements, improvement of lives by promoting better health outcomes, providing more training and job opportunities, providing sustainable development and helping to overcome social exclusion and poverty.

Did you know that:

* Every £1 spent improving heating in homes saves the NHS £34.19.

* Children living in acutely bad housing are 20% more likely to attend A&E than other children.

* 25% of children in bad housing gain no GCSEs.

* Early intervention by housing management staff resolves about 75% of ASB cases.

Housing is devolved to Wales – why is it important to lobby MPs?

Housing lies within the current devolved fields as set out in the Government of Wales Act 2006.

Although much of housing policy is devolved, some is not. The National assembly of Wales does not have full law-making powers, as primary legislation on Welsh affairs continues to be made in the UK Parliament at Westminster. The general election therefore presents a key opportunity to put clear messages to politicians about what the sector is doing, and what it could do in the future.

Housing has never been more important, and so it is vital to push our political engagement to a higher level.

As stated before, most of housing policy is devloved but the four UK housing federations believe that there are three key areas that are UK-wide and that must be key issues in the forthcoming general election.

Our manifesto can be downloaded here