Research On Housing Disadvantages

RESEARCH ON HOUSING DISADVANTAGES AND HOMELESSNESS IN ETHNIC MINORITIES - By Pa Modou Faal

British Academy funded a research collaboration between Pathway Housing Solutions and the University of Nottingham, to look into the links between ethnicity, housing disadvantage, and homelessness. The event marked some preliminary findings from the project and provided a chance to hear from those with lived experiences, as well as from a range of key stakeholders. The event brought together national and local expert to discuss housing problems faced by ethnic minorities in Nottingham.

The councillor for Berridge Ward and Portfolio holder for Housing and Human Resources Toby Neal said Nottingham City Homes (NCH) has the largest network in the city with over 25,000 properties with 25% of the housing within the city as residential social housing while 32% being private rented. The city’s population is about 320,000 people which is broken into roughly 125,000 households. He said the new data indicates a very largely increase in the BAME community from the 2001 census which was 19% of the population, but according to the 2011 survey census, the BAME population in Nottingham rose to 35% which is expected to increase to about 40-45% as of 2022, he argued. “We have had issues, but we were moving towards bringing back houses anyway which calls for a thorough look into our entire housing strategies as a directorate”, said Councillor Neal. Part of NCH processes he lamented, is looking at who they serve out, how they are served and how they continue to provide such services. But as a social housing provider, Councillor Neal said they face significant levels of challenge, because of right to buy, the inability for one-to-one replacements, as they are seeing a high demand presently on the waiting lists for social housing. Councillor Neal revealed that there is currently over 8200 people waiting for social housing, and NCH was able to let 1400 properties last year. “We lose 300 properties a year to right to buy and we are currently processing more than 1400 properties. These applications for right to buy tells you that replacement of these properties is very difficult as it is an ongoing process”, said Councillor Neal. He said NCH’s housing needs assessment shows that 99% of all properties that need to be built in the city, should be affordable housing. To put it into context, he said, in Bilborough, a two-bedroom house goes back on to the polling system which will be opened to at least 400 bidders which shows the level of engagement. He said working with partners especially in the Rough Sleepers Initiative which goes up to 2025 will provide accommodation and services for rough sleepers. “We built 136 new council homes since 2019, there are nearly 290 under construction at the moment and we purchase nearly 200 to help us meet our needs”, said the Councillor. There is a housing strategy seen on notification, a number of sites seen across the city and other sites where work has already begun. He said, “we are always keen for partnerships across the board, in terms of understanding what these issues are and delivering services and that’s an area we will be expanding on in the coming future.” In the area of diversity, Neal said 25% of NCH tenants are from the BAME community against the current number of 28% which is what they are working with. “35% of all new rents and all the new tenancies go to the BAME tenants and we have statutory homelessness prevention duties, of which 31-32% are from the BAME community”, said Neal. In a breakdown of the BAME identities, he said 14% are Black Caribbean, African and Black British community while 7% are from the Asian community and the rest from other groups. “These figures are significant in the areas of disparity and some of these are anecdotal, and this project will probably help to identify issues,” said Neal. He further said that minority ethnic groups lack access to good quality affordable homes who are most likely to be in lower paid jobs and spend a higher proportion of their income on housing cost. The number of waiting for social housing from the BAME community is slightly higher than the city average at the moment and that the allocation rate for BAME community is at a higher rate as well.

“So now social housing issue is reflective of the city in many ways. But the core problem nationally which is demand outstrips supply at the moment. We are looking at various ways of addressing this but until the government actually comes in, some new legislation and rules, that allow us to build new homes, it will continue to be a significant problem”, he argued. https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/research-onhousing-disadvantages-and-homelessness-in-ethnicminorities/

SUMMER WITH MARCUS GARVEY DAY CENTRE

By MGDC Centre

Windrush Day Celebration at Marcus Garvey Day Centre On Wednesday 22nd June 2022, citizens at Marcus Garvey Day centre (MGDC), marked the Windrush Day by reminiscing and having discussions about what they remembered about arriving in the United Kingdom and of their first impressions and experiences.

All citizens agreed that they very clearly remember how cold it was and how things looked so different from the pictures they had previously seen. Citizens reminisced how they lived in shared accommodations and had to share all the facilities. They recollected the hardships they faced during that time and shared stories of how they were sometimes treated when they go to the shop. They said the shopkeeper would ignore them and serve everybody else first and leave them till last. A citizen gave a very touching story saying that she was once sheltering from the rain in a shop door and to her surprise, the shopkeeper asked her to move away. Another citizen shared that she was told that one should definitely try fish and chips and when she went to the chips shop and saw them wrap the fish and chips in newspaper, she walked out of the shop as she was not used to food being served and wrapped in a newspaper. Citizens also discussed how things have evolved and changed over the years from the time when they first came over. A Windrush quiz was also held which was enjoyed by all and there were also displays set up.

Green Fingered Activities at the MGDC

The citizens at MGDC recently enjoyed some gardening activities at the day centre. They planted a variety of seedlings and flowers to watch grow and have been assisting in the maintenance of the plots in the outside garden area. The citizens really enjoyed getting their hands dirty and cannot wait for them to grow so that they can sample some of the produce that they have planted and grown, such as tomatoes, spring onions and chives! When the flowers bloom, they will be placed in the day centre for all to admire.

Lunch trips Are Back for Marcus Garvey Citizens

Citizens from MGDC enjoyed their first lunch visit out since the beginning of the pandemic at Sherwood Man or pub and restaurant. For them, it was nice to go out for lunch again with staff ensuring that all safety precautions were still followed and adhered to. Citizens also visited the Brookfields Garden Centre and spent time looking around the garden centre and bought potted plants to take home with them.

Citizens have not been able to take part in such activities which was a norm and done as routine prepandemic days but really benefitted by being able to go out knowing that staff are ensuring that the necessary processes are followed to keep everybody safe. Visits out are of immense benefit to citizens as such visits help to promote wellbeing, retain independence and support in providing a positive experience. These outdoor activities help them in creating social networks and opportunities for them to know each other better.

Jamaican Independence Day Celebrations at Marcus Garvey Day Centre

Jamaica Independence Day at Marcus Garvey Centre was celebrated on 4th August 2022. Residents from The Oaks Residential Care Home also visited and took part in the celebrations. A citizen from Marcus Garvey Day Centre knew a resident from The Oaks Residential Care Home with whom they used to work in the past but had not seen each other for years. They spent time reminiscing and catching up with each other. There was a quiz session and a poetry performed in patois by Kim-Marie Gordon, a member of staff, which everyone enjoyed. Caribbean brunch was served and went down a treat with all. The event was also attended by local Councillors Audra Wynter and Audrey Dinnall. https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/ summer-with-marcus-garvey-daycentre/

WHY IS CLIMATE ACTIVISM BECOMING MORE RADICAL?

By Jack Dixon

Climate activism has undergone a significant transformation over the last three years. The days of large scale-peaceful protests are largely behind us and are increasingly being replaced by new eye-catching acts of vandalism, sabotage, and civil disobedience. What has changed in the last three years that has caused this dramatic shift in tactics for climate activists?

In 2019, millions of young people across the globe mobilised to take part in the ‘Fridays for future’ movement. This reached a peak in September 2019 when over 6 Million took part in the movement to make their voices heard. The sad reality of this is no matter the impressiveness of the scale of mobilisation, the goals of the movement were ultimately never met. Even Greta Thunberg herself admitted that the movement had ‘achieved nothing’ as it had not caused national governments to take decisive action on climate change. To me, this seems to be a particularly harsh assessment of the campaign as it did manage to bring climate change to the very front of the global conversation, while educating millions on the imminent threat that it poses. Although, even these successes have been undermined over the last three years as more short-term crises have taken hold and turned attention away from the cause. The current media environment does not allow climate change to compete with more immediate threats like global pandemics, the threat of war and economic collapse on a level playing field. This has meant that public concern for climate change has actually eroded in the last few years, all the while the effects of climate change continue to worsen and deadlines to reduce and halt greenhouse emissions are rapidly approaching. Recent action has been particularly effective: like the throwing of soup over Van Gogh’s sunflowers and the blocking of key transport connections. These actions demonstrate the increasing desperation of activists to garner any media attention for their cause, no matter whether it is positive or negative. Acts like these often secure not only national, but international media attention, which is rare at this point for any other form of climate protest. The aim of these acts is to be able to go on media outlets and explain the reasoning for these acts to a much wider audience than was previously interested. The hope is that the initial shock of the act is overcome by the compelling arguments made once the spotlight is on the perpetrators. When we look at the merits of returning to a more palatable climate crisis movement, I am not sure I see much point. It is already difficult to build awareness of a movement as large or even larger than Greta Thunberg was able to three years ago, not to mention the fact that ordinary people are increasingly concerned with issues like the current governmental crisis we face in the UK, the cost-of-living crisis and the war in Ukraine. to have recognised this: devising tactics that allow them to garner the same, if not greater media attention with as little as two activists, a can of soup and a cameraman. Whether or not you see them as effective in boosting support for climate action, it’s undeniable that these actions are highly repeatable and reliable in catching headlines at a much smaller cost.

This may seem like a risky strategy to try to bring more support for your cause, what other options are left? As we approach the IPCC deadline to cut emissions in half by 2030, drastic action from governments is necessary to change course, and this will not be achieved if activists cannot be heard. The consistent inability (or unwillingness) of large parts of the media to present the existential threat of climate change to its audiences has forced climate activists to make it so they can’t be ignored.

As we move deeper into the 2020s, the effects of climate change will only get worse, and this will mean activists will most likely ramp up their efforts accordingly. It’s my belief that, whether we like it or not, radical environmental activism is here to stay and will most likely grow in the coming years. The only way to avoid this is for governments to take activists’ warnings seriously. https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/ why-is-climate-activismbecoming-more-radical/

BREAKING DOWN GENDER STEREOTYPES: STAYING-AT-HOME-DADS – THEY EXIST

By Ophelie Lawson

There is a common belief that women are the only ones who will benefit from a more equal society. But in reality, men would as well. Men too can face genderspecific issues such as rigid gender norms. For both women and men, it is essential that they are aware of the benefits that gender equality can bring to them as individuals and as members of communities.

Traditional stereotypes are difficult for many men to live up to. There is a constant pressure on them to be a ‘real man’ meaning to be physically and emotionally strong, and to be the main income earner in their household. When it comes to family life, however, many workplaces do not offer men extended parental leave or flexible hours, or worse, for stay-at-home dads, there is only little support available in comparison to moms, as it goes against the norm. Men are less likely to seek professional help or talk about their problems and emotions with friends or family. They are also more likely to commit suicide, because of those rigid gender norms. They are less likely to talk or open up about their feelings, because they are not encouraged by society to do so and are more likely to be told to “brush it off” when they experience difficult feelings. We have all heard the saying ‘men don’t cry’. I spoke to a stay-at-home dad about what it means to break out of the norm. It is a tale as old as time: husband goes to work; wife stays home to care for the children. But what happens when the wife goes to work, and the husband stays at home? Do they get enough support? Is it easily accepted ? Below is my conversation with him: Ophelie: In your opinion what are the stigma and stereotypes associated with being a stay-athome dad ?

James: It’s not the norm, is it? Having to go out to baby groups; it’s all moms there. It can be a bit daunting to do that. You do get ignored or only spoken to briefly. You see all the moms sitting about, chatting and all getting on. You can feel a bit isolated. My friends all thought it was a bit weird. But I don’t think anybody really understands how much hard work it is. They think you are just trying to get out of working where if it is the mom, it is what she is supposed to do or what society thinks she is supposed to do. Ophelie: Do you get any support from your relatives ? James: my mom would come down once a week. From my friends, not really. Just my mom and my first son. But no, I don’t get any real support. Ophelie: Did you get any unsupportive comment or unsolicited advice since being a stay-at-home dad? James: Everybody’s got an opinion, but nothing too negative, just joking around, because it is not the norm. People call you the housewife and stuff like that. With my first son I was also helping once a week where it was only him and me, so I kind of knew what to expect. I just forgot how hard it is to be honest. The joking around; I kind of expected, I made the decision to do this. At the end of the day, it is beneficial for me and the kids, so I don’t really care much about other people’s opinions, I am quite happy with what I decided to do. When I told people from the older generation they have always asked when I’m going back to work like this was the most important thing to them. Ophelie: Do you get supportive comments ?

James: My wife, my mom and some female friends have said how well my son is doing and they know how hard it is. From male friends not really, it’s not really something we talk about.

According to gender norms, it is the mother who should be staying at home to look after the children, but such stereotypes are really just harmful, they limit both women’s and men’s capacity to make choices about their lives and live the life they seek to leave. For James, a stay-at-home dad, leaving his job to look after his younger son and allowing his wife to pursue her career, as well as eliminating childcare costs, was the best decision he could have made for his family. https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/ breaking-down-genderstereotypes-staying-at-homedads-they-exist/