A Perfect Storm... with worse conditions expected

So there we were, paranoid about Covid and the changes it has brought to our formerly humdrum lives: lockdown, tests and vaccinations, growing hospital waiting lists, isolating or simply in fear of re-joining the real world again, months of not going to the pub or the movies, no overseas travel or holidays. It impacted all of us in some way, some more than others, even if we didn’t catch it.

But now Covid is only a part of our ongoing problems. New difficulties to our lives have seemingly and suddenly appeared from nowhere: fuel shortages, energy price hikes, labour shortages, supply chain problems and empty shop shelves, along with the expected end of the Universal Credit uplift and the Furlough Scheme… and these new issues will also affect each and every one of us in some way, directly or indirectly, over the next several months.

But what has that got to do with the property security sector? Let me explain. Most people who read my posts will know how passionate I am about the provision of affordable housing and why so much of the empty property that surrounds us should be used for the greater good, temporarily or permanently, to help those less well off who need a safe and secure roof over their heads. Either through our guardianship model, or even better when it is repurposed into affordable or social housing. All these latest dramas are going to contribute to more problems for those struggling to live on low wages, especially our key workers, and especially in the inner cities where rents are so much higher and waiting lists for social housing are lengthy. It’s horrible to think the old heating vs eating scenario is going to be with us again for a lot of people over the coming months and I dread to think how bad it will get if we have a harsh winter. It’s a grim fact that everything is going to cost more across the board.

That’s why I’m asking everyone to think about it. I’m not being political in any way, merely practical. When you go shopping, drop a tin or packet of something into the collection basket in your supermarket for the local food bank, don’t just walk past and ignore it. You probably won’t even notice it on your till receipt, but it will help someone in need. And likewise, don’t disregard the homeless.

Some are bedding down in a cold shop doorway overnight despite having a job. Not everyone is there out of choice. Getting accommodation is hard without references or a deposit; once you’ve lost your former home, maybe because you lost a job during lockdown and couldn’t pay the rent, or you got into debt, it takes time, effort and savings to get life back to normal, so spare them a few coins to get a hot meal and a hostel bed for the night.?

And finally, if you are a developer, landlord, estate agent, facilities manager, or indeed anyone responsible for a vacant building, give my office a ring. Your property might simply be sitting and waiting for new tenants, or perhaps your proposed development might be held up due to the problems in the construction industry, or for many other reasons, but if it’s going to stand empty over the winter, we can take it off your hands temporarily, furnish appropriate parts of it and put it to good use for some deserving, hard-working people who are otherwise struggling to find accommodation they can afford, so they can both eat and keep warm. And the bonus for you is a secure building, protected from within to keep both the weather and unwanted trespassers out.